De novo transcriptome profiling unveils the regulation of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in unripe Piper nigrum berries
Authors
Sweda Sreekumar
Transdisciplinary Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala India
Kattupalli Divya
Transdisciplinary Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala India
Nisha Joy
Transdisciplinary Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala India
E Soniya
Transdisciplinary Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala India
Keywords:
Black pepper, Fruits, RNA-Seq, Developmental stages, Secondary metabolite
Abstract
Black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) is rich in bioactive compounds that make it an imperative constituent in traditional medicines. Although the unripe fruits have long been used in different Ayurvedic formulations, the mechanism of gene regulation resulting in the production of the bioactive compounds in black pepper is not much investigated. Exploring the regulatory factors favouring the production of bioactive compounds ultimately help to accumulate the medicinally important content of black pepper. The factors that enhance the biosynthesis of these compounds could be potential candidates for metabolic engineering strategies to obtain a high level production of significant biomolecules.
Results
Being a non-model plant, de novo sequencing technology was used to unravel comprehensive information about the genes and transcription factors that are expressed in mature unripe green berries of P. nigrum from which commercially available black pepper is prepared. In this study, the key gene regulations involved in the synthesis of bioactive principles in black pepper was brought out with a focus on the highly expressed phenylpropanoid pathway genes. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of critical genes and transcription factors in the different developmental stages from bud to the mature green berries provides important information useful for choosing the developmental stage that would be best for the production of a particular bioactive compound. Comparison with a previous study has also been included to understand the relative position of the results obtained from this study.
Conclusions
The current study uncovered significant information regarding the gene expression and regulation responsible for the bioactivity of black pepper. The key transcription factors and enzymes analyzed in this study are promising targets for achieving a high level production of significant biomolecules through metabolic engineering.
Supplementary Information
The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12870-022-03878-1.
Keywords: Black pepper, Fruits, RNA-Seq, Developmental stages, Secondary metabolite
Author Biographies
Sweda Sreekumar, Transdisciplinary Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala India
Biology Centre, Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Plant Molecular Biology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
Kattupalli Divya, Transdisciplinary Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala India
Research Centre, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala India
Nisha Joy, Transdisciplinary Biology, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala India
Centre for Gene Regulation & Expression, School of Life Sciences, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland
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