Drought stress is a serious natural challenge for tea plants that significantly affects tea yield and quality.miR171s play critical roles in plant stress responses,however,their role in drought stress tolerance in tea...Drought stress is a serious natural challenge for tea plants that significantly affects tea yield and quality.miR171s play critical roles in plant stress responses,however,their role in drought stress tolerance in tea plants(Camellia sinensis)is poorly understood.This study experimentally verified the expression patterns of csn-miR171b-3p_2 and its target,scarecrow-like(SCL).We found that csn-miR171b-3p_2 could target and regulate CsSCL6-4 to play an important role in the defense against drought stress in tea plants.CsSCL6-4 is located in the nucleus and is selfactivated in vivo.In addition,we obtained 819 putative binding regions of CsSCL6-4 using DNA affinity purification sequencing analysis,which were assigned to 786 different genes,four of which were drought-resistant genes(CsPrx,CsSDR,CsFAD7,and CsCER1).Yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase reporter assays revealed that CsSCL6-4 directly promoted the expression of these four drought resistance genes by binding motifs 1/2/3 in their promoter regions.Both overexpression and suppression of CsSCL6-4 proved that CsSCL6-4 participated in the defense against drought stress in tea plants by regulating the expression of CsPrx,CsSDR,CsFAD7,and CsCER1.In addition,suppression of csn-miR171b-3p_2 expression significantly increased the expression of CsSCL6-4 and activated CsSCL6-4-bound gene transcription under drought stress.Therefore,the csn-miR171b-3p_2-CsSCL6-4 module participates in tea plant resistance to drought stress by promoting the expression of drought resistance genes.Our results revealed the function of csn-miR171b-3p_2 in tea plants and provided new insights into the mechanism of tea plant resistance to drought stress.展开更多
Understanding the molecular responses of tea leaves to mechanical stress is crucial for elucidating the mechanisms of post-harvest quality formation during oolong tea processing.This study employed an integrated multi...Understanding the molecular responses of tea leaves to mechanical stress is crucial for elucidating the mechanisms of post-harvest quality formation during oolong tea processing.This study employed an integrated multi-omics strategy to characterize the changes and interactions among metabolomic(MB),transcriptomic(TX),and proteomic(PT)profiles in mechanically stressed tea leaves.Mechanical stress initially activated damage-associated molecular patterns(DAMPs),including Ca^(2+)signaling,jasmonic acid signaling,and glutathione metabolism pathways.These processes subsequently induced quality-related metabolic pathways(QRMPs),particularly α-linolenic acid and phenylalanine metabolism.Upregulated expression of LOX,ADH1,and PAR genes,together with the increased abundance of their encoded proteins,respectively promoted the accumulation of jasmine lactone,benzyl alcohol,and 2-phenylethanol.These findings indicate that mechanical stress influences the metabolite biosynthesis in tea leaves through coordinated molecular responses.This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying tea leaf responses to mechanical stress and a foundation for future investigations into how early molecular events may contribute to post-harvest metabolic changes during oolong tea processing.展开更多
Diabetes mellitus(DM)is a pressing global public health issue with a high incidence of morbidity and mortality due to its complications.Although there are many medicines available for the treatment of DM,long-term use...Diabetes mellitus(DM)is a pressing global public health issue with a high incidence of morbidity and mortality due to its complications.Although there are many medicines available for the treatment of DM,long-term use causes various adverse effects,such as diarrhea,vomiting,and nausea.Tea,owing to its richness of diverse bioactive components including tea polyphenols,tea polysaccharides,and alkaloids,has displayed promising antidiabetic properties.Screening antidiabetic bioactive compounds derived from teas is receiving increasing attention.Epidemiological and clinical investigations have demonstrated an inverse relationship between tea consumption and the incidence of DM.Both in vitro and in vivo experiments have substantiated the hypoglycemic effects of tea and its bioactive components through several possible mechanisms,including improvement of insulin resistance,inhibition of carbohydrates digestion and absorption(inhibitα-amylase andα-glucosidase activity),regulations of gut microbiota,inflammatory cytokines,and gene and protein expressions in the insulin signaling pathway,as well as amelioration of DM complications.This comprehensive review provides an up-to-date overview of the hypoglycemic properties associated with tea and its bioactive components.It also delves into their potential mechanisms,offering a theoretical foundation for further research into tea's antidiabetic properties and for the development of innovative antidiabetic functional products.展开更多
Pyrrolizidine alkaloids(PAs)and their N-oxides(PANOs)are phytotoxins produced by various plant species and have been emerged as environmental pollutants.The sorption/desorption behaviors of PAs/PANOs in soil are cruci...Pyrrolizidine alkaloids(PAs)and their N-oxides(PANOs)are phytotoxins produced by various plant species and have been emerged as environmental pollutants.The sorption/desorption behaviors of PAs/PANOs in soil are crucial due to the horizontal transfer of these natural products from PA-producing plants to soil and subsequently absorbed by plant roots.This study firstly investigated the sorption/desorption behaviors of PAs/PANOs in tea plantation soils with distinct characteristics.Sorption amounts for seneciphylline(Sp)and seneciphylline-N-oxide(SpNO)in three acidic soils ranged from 2.9 to 5.9μg/g and 1.7 to 2.8μg/g,respectively.Desorption percentages for Sp and SpNO were from 22.2%to 30.5%and 36.1%to 43.9%.In the mixed PAs/PANOs systems,stronger sorption of PAs over PANOs was occurred in tested soils.Additionally,the Freundlich models more precisely described the sorption/desorption isotherms.Cation exchange capacity,sand content and total nitrogen were identified as major influencing factors by linear regression models.Overall,the soils exhibiting higher sorption capacities for compounds with greater hydrophobicity.PANOs were more likely to migrate within soils and be absorbed by tea plants.It contributes to the understanding of environmental fate of PAs/PANOs in tea plantations and provides basic data and clues for the development of PAs/PANOs reduction technology.展开更多
Anthracnose is a devastating disease caused by Colletotrichum that significantly affects the yield and economic value of the tea plant(Camellia sinensis). However, few studies have addressed the genetic mechanism of a...Anthracnose is a devastating disease caused by Colletotrichum that significantly affects the yield and economic value of the tea plant(Camellia sinensis). However, few studies have addressed the genetic mechanism of anthracnoseresistance(AR). This study investigated the QTL associated with AR in a 'Longjing 43'×'Baijiguan'(LJ43×BJG)population. The field surveys conducted in this study led to the identification of several QTLs for AR on the linkagemap. One major QTL(qAR-12.4) accounted for 12% of the phenotypic variance explained over two years. The BSA-seq results also revealed two genomic regions, q ARChr1 on chromosome 1 and qARChr13 on chromosome 13,which showed strong correlations with AR. Time-course RNA-seq was performed on LJ43 and BJG inoculated withanthracnose at 0, 24, and 48 hours to screen for candidate genes. The results showed the gradual post-inoculationexpression of a nuclear-localized ERF transcription factor(CsERF105) within the qARChr1 locus in BJG but not inLJ43. The AR of BJG was significantly reduced after feeding with CsERF105-specific antisense oligonucleotides,suggesting that CsERF105 may be a positive regulator. The findings of this study add to our general knowledge ofthe genetic factors involved in the tea plant's AR and potential breeding targets.展开更多
Currently,cultivated tea plants are classified into three varieties,namely,Camellia sinensis var.sinensis,C.sinensis var.assamica,and C.sinensis var.kucha.Three tea varieties made green teas(TVGTs)are widely consumed ...Currently,cultivated tea plants are classified into three varieties,namely,Camellia sinensis var.sinensis,C.sinensis var.assamica,and C.sinensis var.kucha.Three tea varieties made green teas(TVGTs)are widely consumed worldwide.However,a comparative investigation of the beneficial effects,mechanism,and characteristic compounds of TVGTs has not been reported.Here,three representative tea plant varieties,namely,C.sinensis var.sinensis cv.Fuding(FD),C.sinensis var.assamica cv.Yunkang 10(YK),and C.sinensis var.kucha(KC),planted in the same garden,were used to make green teas utilizing the same standard procedure.Our findings show that the TVGTs effectively improved hyperglycemia,obesity,dyslipidemia,fatty liver,and mesenteric artery(MA)hypercontractility in mice with diabetes and obesity induced by a high-fat diet(HFD)after 11-and 22-week interventions,with YK being the most effective at 22 weeks.Liver lipidomics indicated that the TVGTs restored the glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid balance and reduced triglycerides,with YK demonstrating superior effects.The TVGTs,particularly YK,suppressed triglyceride synthesis through the ARV1-FXR-SHP-SREBP-1c pathway.A chemical profile analysis revealed that YK green tea had enriched active compounds,including caffeine,quinic acid,L-theanine,gallic acid,and catechins,compared with FD and KC green teas,which may contribute to ameliorating diabetic dyslipidemia via synergistic action.As a representative tea variety of C.sinensis var.assamica,YK green tea was found to be superior to the other two green teas in preventing and treating diabetic dyslipidemia,especially with long term consumption.These data provide important information for tea plant breeders and tea consumers.展开更多
Originating in China, tea and tea planting have spread throughout the world since the middle of the Tang dynasty. Now people from 160 countries in the world are accustomed to tea drinking. A brief history of tea＇s me...Originating in China, tea and tea planting have spread throughout the world since the middle of the Tang dynasty. Now people from 160 countries in the world are accustomed to tea drinking. A brief history of tea＇s medicinal role in China and its spread to the world are introduced. The effectiveness of tea active components and tea drinking on major human diseases, including cancer, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases, is discussed. Also presented are some related issues, such as the bioavailability of tea active components, the new formulations of tea polyphenols, and the safety for consumers of dietary supplements containing tea polyphenols.展开更多
Tea is one of the three greatest beverages in the world. In China, green tea has the largest consumption, and needle-shaped green tea, such as Maofeng tea and Sparrow Tongue tea, accounts for more than 40% of green t...Tea is one of the three greatest beverages in the world. In China, green tea has the largest consumption, and needle-shaped green tea, such as Maofeng tea and Sparrow Tongue tea, accounts for more than 40% of green tea （Zhu et al., 2017）. The appearance of green tea is one of the important indexes during the evaluation of green tea quality.展开更多
Methyl jasmonate（MeJA） was widely applied in promoting food quality.Aroma is one of the key indicators in judging the quality of tea.This study examined the effect of exogenous MeJA treatment on tea aroma.The aroma ...Methyl jasmonate（MeJA） was widely applied in promoting food quality.Aroma is one of the key indicators in judging the quality of tea.This study examined the effect of exogenous MeJA treatment on tea aroma.The aroma components in black tea prepared from MeJA-treated fresh tea leaves were extracted using headspace solid-phase microextraction（HS-SPME） and were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（GC-MS） and GC-olfactometry（GC-O）.Forty-five volatile compounds were identified.The results revealed that the MeJA-treated black tea had higher levels of terpene alcohols and hexenyl esters than the untreated tea.Moreover,several newly components,including copaene,cubenol,and indole,were induced by the MeJA treatment.The activities of polyphenol oxidase and β-glucosidase in fresh tea leaves changed after the MeJA treatment.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction（qRT-PCR） analysis indicated that the gene expression levels of polyphenol oxidase and β-primeverosidase were upregulated by two and three folds,respectively,by the MeJA treatment（P0.01）; however,the gene expression of β-glucosidase was downregulated to a half level.In general,the aroma quality of the MeJAtreated black tea was clearly improved.展开更多
Thirteen volatile compounds were identified from Flemingia macrophylla plants. Eight major components significantly attracted the tea green leafhoppers, Empoasca flavescens F. Based on their relative abundances, follo...Thirteen volatile compounds were identified from Flemingia macrophylla plants. Eight major components significantly attracted the tea green leafhoppers, Empoasca flavescens F. Based on their relative abundances, following synthetic blends were made for field experiments: 1) eight-component-attractant blend included Z-3-hexen-1-ol, Z-3-hexenyl acetate, Z-ocimene, Me SA, Z-3-hexenyl butyrate, dodecane, hexadecane and nonanal at 10, 10, 1, 11, 2, 6, 2 and 4 mg mL^-1 in n-hexane, respectively;2) four-component-attractant blend #1 contained hexadecane, Z-3-hexenyl acetate, Z-3-hexen-1-ol and nonanal at 2, 10, 10 and 4 mg mL^-1 in n-hexane, respectively;3) four-component-attractant blend #2 contained hexadecane, Z-3-hexenyl acetate, Z-3-hexen-1-ol and Me SA at 2, 10, 10 and 11 mg mL^-1 in n-hexane, respectively. Thymol and 1-methoxy-4-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)-benzene, identified from Lavandula angustifolia aeration samples, significantly repelled the leafhopper as strong repellents when tested alone or in combination at 10 mg mL^-1. For field bioassays, each attractant lure was attached to a bud green sticky board hung from a bamboo stick at above tea plant level for catching the leafhoppers, whereas the repellent dispenser was tied to a tea branch inside tea clump for pushing the leafhoppers away from tea clumps. The results showed that the eight-component-attractant blend caught similar numbers of the leafhopper as did the four-component-attractant blend #1 at about 53–79 leafhoppers/trap/day, which were significantly higher than those on the hexane-control bud green sticky boards. Average leafhopper catches from un-baited sticky boards were about 51–73 leafhoppers/trap/day when pushed by the repellents placed inside tea plants, with the two-component-repellent blend being more effective than their single components. When the two-component-repellent blend was further tested with the three attractant blends in a push-pull fashion, average trap catches ranged from 62 to 92 leafhoppers/trap/day. Control efficacy on the leafhoppers within the push-pull zones increased progressively from day 1(43%) to day 5(73%). This push-pull approach might have a great potential as a green control strategy for combating the tea green leafhoppers.展开更多
Plants release large amounts of volatile organic compounds(VOCs)in response to attackers.Several VOCs can serve as volatile signals to elicit defense responses in undamaged tissues and neighboring plants,but many ques...Plants release large amounts of volatile organic compounds(VOCs)in response to attackers.Several VOCs can serve as volatile signals to elicit defense responses in undamaged tissues and neighboring plants,but many questions about the ecological functions of VOCs remain unanswered.Tea plants are impacted by two harmful invaders,the piercing herbivore Empoasca(Matsumurasca)onukii Matsuda and the pathogen Colletotrichum fructicola.To determine the VOC signals in tea,we confirmed CsOPR3 as a marker gene and set up a rapid screening method based on a 1.51 kb CsOPR3 promoter fused with aβ-glucuronidase(GUS)reporter construct(OPR3p::GUS)in Arabidopsis.Using this screening system,a terpenoid volatile(E)-nerolidol was identified as a potent signal that elicits plant defenses.The early responses triggered by(E)-nerolidol included the activation of a mitogen-activated protein kinase and WRKY,an H2O2 burst,and the induction of jasmonic acid and abscisic acid signaling.The induced plants accumulated high levels of defenserelated chemicals,which possessed broad-spectrum anti-herbivore or anti-pathogen properties,and ultimately triggered resistance against Empoasca onukii and Colletotrichum fructicola in tea.We propose that these findings can supply an environmentally friendly management strategy for controlling an insect pest and a disease of tea plants.展开更多
Cultivated tea(Camellia sinensis) plants acidify the rhizosphere, and Aluminum(Al) toxicity is recognized as a major limiting factor for plant growth in acidic soils. However, the mechanisms responsible for rhizospher...Cultivated tea(Camellia sinensis) plants acidify the rhizosphere, and Aluminum(Al) toxicity is recognized as a major limiting factor for plant growth in acidic soils. However, the mechanisms responsible for rhizosphere acidification associated with Al have not been fully elucidated. The present study examined the effect of Al on root-induced rhizosphere acidification, plasma membrane H^+-adenosine triphosphatase(H^+-ATPase) activity, and cation-anion balance in tea plant roots. The exudation of H^+from tea plant roots with or without Al treatment was visualized using an agar sheet with bromocresol purple. The H^+-ATPase activity of plasma membranes isolated from the roots was measured after hydrolysis using the two-phase partition system. The Al treatment strongly enhanced the exudation of H^+, and the acidification of tea plant roots by Al was closely associated with plasma membrane H^+-ATPase activity. The root plasma membrane H^+-ATPase activity increased with Al concentration. The Al content, amount of protons released, and H^+-ATPase activity were significantly higher in roots treated with Al than in those untreated. The results of the cation-anion balance in roots showed an excess of cations relative to anions, with the amount of excess cation uptake increasing with increasing Al concentrations. These suggest that Al-enhanced proton release is associated with plasma membrane H^+-ATPase activity and excess cation uptake. Findings of this study would provide insights into the contributing factors of soil acidification in tea plantations.展开更多
Tea is one of the most popular nonalcoholic beverages due to its characteristic secondary metabolites with numerous health benefits.Although two draft genomes of tea plant(Camellia sinensis)have been published recentl...Tea is one of the most popular nonalcoholic beverages due to its characteristic secondary metabolites with numerous health benefits.Although two draft genomes of tea plant(Camellia sinensis)have been published recently,the lack of chromosome-scale assembly hampers the understanding of the fundamental genomic architecture of tea plant and potential improvement.Here,we performed a genome-wide chromosome conformation capture technique(Hi-C)to obtain a chromosome-scale assembly based on the draft genome of C.sinensis var.sinensis and successfully ordered 2984.7 Mb(94.7%)scaffolds into 15 chromosomes.The scaffold N50 of the improved genome was 218.1 Mb,~157-fold higher than that of the draft genome.Collinearity comparison of genome sequences and two genetic maps validated the high contiguity and accuracy of the chromosome-scale assembly.We clarified that only one Camellia recent tetraploidization event(CRT,58.9–61.7 million years ago(Mya))occurred after the core-eudicot common hexaploidization event(146.6–152.7 Mya).Meanwhile,9243 genes(28.6%)occurred in tandem duplication,and most of these expanded after the CRT event.These gene duplicates increased functionally divergent genes that play important roles in tea-specific biosynthesis or stress response.Sixty-four catechin-and caffeine-related quantitative trait loci(QTLs)were anchored to chromosome assembly.Of these,two catechin-related QTL hotspots were derived from the CRT event,which illustrated that polyploidy has played a dramatic role in the diversification of tea germplasms.The availability of a chromosome-scale genome of tea plant holds great promise for the understanding of genome evolution and the discovery of novel genes contributing to agronomically beneficial traits in future breeding programs.展开更多
Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability （DUS） testing is the technical base of Plant Variety Protection （PVP） and the scientific basis for the approval of Plant Breeder＇s Rights （PBR）. DUS Test Guidelines are no...Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability （DUS） testing is the technical base of Plant Variety Protection （PVP） and the scientific basis for the approval of Plant Breeder＇s Rights （PBR）. DUS Test Guidelines are not only the technical manuals for the DUS testing authorities to conduct the testing, but also the technical standards for the competent authorities to examine the DUS of new varieties of plants. Tea plant, originated from Yunnan Province, China, is a very important woody cash species in the world. The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants （UPOV） DUS Test Guidelines for tea plant is the first Test Guidelines prepared by China for the UPOV. In this article, the subject, selection, and determination of characteristics, states of expression of characteristics and the selection of example varieties, assessment of the UPOV DUS Test Guidelines for tea plant were elucidated in detail. Finally, the proposal of PVP for tea plant in China was also proposed. The preparation of UPOV DUS Test Guidelines for tea plant will have important significance both for promoting the development of PVP and increasing the status of international PVP fields for China.展开更多
Anthracnose causes severe losses of tea production in China.Although genes and biological processes involved in anthracnose resistance have been reported in other plants,the molecular response to anthracnose in tea pl...Anthracnose causes severe losses of tea production in China.Although genes and biological processes involved in anthracnose resistance have been reported in other plants,the molecular response to anthracnose in tea plant is unknown.We used the susceptible tea cultivar Longjing 43 and the resistant cultivar Zhongcha 108 as materials and compared transcriptome changes in the leaves of both cultivars following Colletotrichum fructicola inoculation.In all,9015 and 8624 genes were differentially expressed between the resistant and susceptible cultivars and their controls(0 h),respectively.In both cultivars,the differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were enriched in 215 pathways,including responses to sugar metabolism,phytohormones,reactive oxygen species(ROS),biotic stimuli and signalling,transmembrane transporter activity,protease activity and signalling receptor activity,but DEG expression levels were higher in Zhongcha 108 than in Longjing 43.Moreover,functional enrichment analysis of the DEGs showed that hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)metabolism,cell death,secondary metabolism,and carbohydrate metabolism are involved in the defence of Zhongcha 108,and 88 key genes were identified.Protein–protein interaction(PPI)network demonstrated that putative mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)cascades are activated by resistance(R)genes and mediate downstream defence responses.Histochemical analysis subsequently validated the strong hypersensitive response(HR)and H2O2 accumulation that occurred around the hyphal infection sites in Zhongcha 108.Overall,our results indicate that the HR and H2O2 are critical mechanisms in tea plant defence against anthracnose and may be activated by R genes via MAPK cascades.展开更多
It is important to research the rules about accumulation and distribution of arsenic and cadmium by tea plants,which will give us some scientific ideas about how to control the contents of arsenic and cadmium in tea.I...It is important to research the rules about accumulation and distribution of arsenic and cadmium by tea plants,which will give us some scientific ideas about how to control the contents of arsenic and cadmium in tea.In this study,by field investigation and pot trial,we found that mobility of arsenic and cadmium in tea plants was low.Most arsenic and cadmium absorbed were fixed in feeding roots and only small amount was transported to the above-ground parts.Distribution of arsenic and cadmium,based on their concentrations of unit dry matter,in tea plants grown on un-contaminated soil was in the order:feeding roots>stems≈main roots>old leaves>young leaves.When tea plants were grown on polluted soils simulated by adding salts of these two metals,feeding roots possibly acted as a buffer and defense,and arsenic and cadmium were transported less to the aboveground parts.The concentration of cadmium in soil significantly and negatively correlated with chlorophyll content,photosynthetic rate,transpiration rate and biomass production of tea plants.展开更多
The characteristic secondary metabolites in tea(theanine,caffeine,and catechins)are important factors contributing to unique tea flavors.However,there has been relatively little research on molecular markers related t...The characteristic secondary metabolites in tea(theanine,caffeine,and catechins)are important factors contributing to unique tea flavors.However,there has been relatively little research on molecular markers related to these metabolites.Thus,we conducted a genome-wide association analysis of the levels of these tea flavor-related metabolites in three seasons.The theanine,caffeine,and catechin levels in Population 1 comprising 191 tea plant germplasms were examined,which revealed that their heritability exceeded 0.5 in the analyzed seasons,with the following rank order(highest to lowest heritabilities):(+)-catechin>(−)-gallocatechin gallate>caffeine=(−)-epicatechin>(−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate>theanine>(−)-epigallocatechin>(−)-epicatechin-3-gallate>catechin gallate>(+)-gallocatechin.The SNPs detected by amplified-fragment SNP and methylation sequencing divided Population 1 into three groups and seven subgroups.An association analysis yielded 307 SNP markers related to theanine,caffeine,and catechins that were common to all three seasons.Some of the markers were pleiotropic.The functional annotation of 180 key genes at the SNP loci revealed that FLS,UGT,MYB,and WD40 domain-containing proteins,as well as ATP-binding cassette transporters,may be important for catechin synthesis.KEGG and GO analyses indicated that these genes are associated with metabolic pathways and secondary metabolite biosynthesis.Moreover,in Population 2(98 tea plant germplasm resources),30 candidate SNPs were verified,including 17 SNPs that were significantly or extremely significantly associated with specific metabolite levels.These results will provide a foundation for future research on important flavor-related metabolites and may help accelerate the breeding of new tea varieties.展开更多
Catechins are the predominant products in tea plants and have essential functions for both plants and humans.Several genes encoding the enzymes regulating catechin biosynthesis have been identified,and the identificat...Catechins are the predominant products in tea plants and have essential functions for both plants and humans.Several genes encoding the enzymes regulating catechin biosynthesis have been identified,and the identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)resulting in nonsynonymous mutations within these genes can be used to establish a functional link to catechin content.Therefore,the transcriptomes of two parents and four filial offspring were sequenced using next-generation sequencing technology and aligned to the reference genome to enable SNP mining.Subsequently,176 tea plant accessions were genotyped based on candidate SNPs using kompetitive allelespecific polymerase chain reaction(KASP).The catechin contents of these samples were characterized by highperformance liquid chromatography(HPLC),and analysis of variance(ANOVA)was subsequently performed to determine the relationship between genotypes and catechin content.As a result of these efforts,a SNP within the chalcone synthase(CHS)gene was shown to be functionally associated with catechin content.Furthermore,the geographical and interspecific distribution of this SNP was investigated.Collectively,these results will contribute to the early evaluation of tea plants and serve as a rapid tool for accelerating targeted efforts in tea breeding.展开更多
Caffeine is an important functional component in tea,which has the effect of excitement and nerve stimulation,but excessive intake can cause insomnia and dysphoria.Therefore,the production of tea with low-caffeine con...Caffeine is an important functional component in tea,which has the effect of excitement and nerve stimulation,but excessive intake can cause insomnia and dysphoria.Therefore,the production of tea with low-caffeine content can meet the consumption needs of certain people.Here,in addition to the previous alleles of the tea caffeine synthase(TCS1)gene,a new allele(TCS1h)from tea germplasms was identified.Results of in vitro activity analysis showed that TCS1h had both theobromine synthase(TS)and caffeine synthase(CS)activities.Site-directed mutagenesis experiments of TCS1a,TCS1c,and TCS1h demonstrated that apart from the 225th amino acid residue,the 269th amino acid also determined the CS activity.GUS histochemical analysis and dual-luciferase assay indicated the low promoter activity of TCS1e and TCS1f.In parallel,insertion and deletion mutations in large fragments of alleles and experiments of site-directed mutagenesis identified a key cis-acting element(G-box).Furthermore,it was found that the contents of purine alkaloids were related to the expression of corresponding functional genes and alleles,and the absence or presence and level of gene expression determined the content of purine alkaloids in tea plants to a certain extent.In summary,we concluded TCS1 alleles into three types with different functions and proposed a strategy to effectively enhance low-caffeine tea germplasms in breeding practices.This research provided an applicable technical avenue for accelerating the cultivation of specific low-caffeine tea plants.展开更多
Dear Editor,The timing of the spring bud f lush(TBF)is a crucial agro-nomic trait for the tea plant,as it strongly influences the yield and economic value of harvested fresh tea leaves.The TBF of tea plant is generall...Dear Editor,The timing of the spring bud f lush(TBF)is a crucial agro-nomic trait for the tea plant,as it strongly influences the yield and economic value of harvested fresh tea leaves.The TBF of tea plant is generally defined as the date when>30%of the growing tender shoots have reached the stage of one bud with one to three leaves,referred as to the stage of one and a bud,two and a bud,and three and a bud,respectively.展开更多
基金supported by the Rural Revitalization Tea Industry Technical Service Project of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University(Grant No.11899170145)the“Double firstclass”scientific and technological innovation capacity and enhancement cultivation plan of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University(Grant No.KSYLP004)+4 种基金6.18 Tea Industry Technology Branch of Collaborative Innovation Institute(Grant No.K1520001A)Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Construction Project for Technological Innovation and Service System of Tea Industry Chain(Grant No.K1520005A01)Tea Industry Branch of Collaborative Innovation Institute of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University(Grant No.K1521015A)Science and Technology Innovation Special Fund Project of Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University(Grant No.KFb22020XA)the Special Fund for Science and Technology Innovation of Fujian Zhang Tianfu Tea Development Foundation(Grant No.FJZTF01).
文摘Drought stress is a serious natural challenge for tea plants that significantly affects tea yield and quality.miR171s play critical roles in plant stress responses,however,their role in drought stress tolerance in tea plants(Camellia sinensis)is poorly understood.This study experimentally verified the expression patterns of csn-miR171b-3p_2 and its target,scarecrow-like(SCL).We found that csn-miR171b-3p_2 could target and regulate CsSCL6-4 to play an important role in the defense against drought stress in tea plants.CsSCL6-4 is located in the nucleus and is selfactivated in vivo.In addition,we obtained 819 putative binding regions of CsSCL6-4 using DNA affinity purification sequencing analysis,which were assigned to 786 different genes,four of which were drought-resistant genes(CsPrx,CsSDR,CsFAD7,and CsCER1).Yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase reporter assays revealed that CsSCL6-4 directly promoted the expression of these four drought resistance genes by binding motifs 1/2/3 in their promoter regions.Both overexpression and suppression of CsSCL6-4 proved that CsSCL6-4 participated in the defense against drought stress in tea plants by regulating the expression of CsPrx,CsSDR,CsFAD7,and CsCER1.In addition,suppression of csn-miR171b-3p_2 expression significantly increased the expression of CsSCL6-4 and activated CsSCL6-4-bound gene transcription under drought stress.Therefore,the csn-miR171b-3p_2-CsSCL6-4 module participates in tea plant resistance to drought stress by promoting the expression of drought resistance genes.Our results revealed the function of csn-miR171b-3p_2 in tea plants and provided new insights into the mechanism of tea plant resistance to drought stress.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2022YFD2101101)the Earmarked Fund for CARS-19+2 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32402634)the Modern Agricultural(Tea)Industry Technology System of Fujian Province,China(2025 No.593)the Special Fund for Science and Technology Innovation of Fujian Zhang Tianfu Tea Development Foundation,China(FJZTF01)。
文摘Understanding the molecular responses of tea leaves to mechanical stress is crucial for elucidating the mechanisms of post-harvest quality formation during oolong tea processing.This study employed an integrated multi-omics strategy to characterize the changes and interactions among metabolomic(MB),transcriptomic(TX),and proteomic(PT)profiles in mechanically stressed tea leaves.Mechanical stress initially activated damage-associated molecular patterns(DAMPs),including Ca^(2+)signaling,jasmonic acid signaling,and glutathione metabolism pathways.These processes subsequently induced quality-related metabolic pathways(QRMPs),particularly α-linolenic acid and phenylalanine metabolism.Upregulated expression of LOX,ADH1,and PAR genes,together with the increased abundance of their encoded proteins,respectively promoted the accumulation of jasmine lactone,benzyl alcohol,and 2-phenylethanol.These findings indicate that mechanical stress influences the metabolite biosynthesis in tea leaves through coordinated molecular responses.This study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying tea leaf responses to mechanical stress and a foundation for future investigations into how early molecular events may contribute to post-harvest metabolic changes during oolong tea processing.
基金supported by the Zhejiang Province Natural Science Foundation(LR23C160002)the Science and Technology Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences(CAAS-ASTIP-2023-TRICAAS)the National Natural Science Foundation(32172630 and 31972467).
文摘Diabetes mellitus(DM)is a pressing global public health issue with a high incidence of morbidity and mortality due to its complications.Although there are many medicines available for the treatment of DM,long-term use causes various adverse effects,such as diarrhea,vomiting,and nausea.Tea,owing to its richness of diverse bioactive components including tea polyphenols,tea polysaccharides,and alkaloids,has displayed promising antidiabetic properties.Screening antidiabetic bioactive compounds derived from teas is receiving increasing attention.Epidemiological and clinical investigations have demonstrated an inverse relationship between tea consumption and the incidence of DM.Both in vitro and in vivo experiments have substantiated the hypoglycemic effects of tea and its bioactive components through several possible mechanisms,including improvement of insulin resistance,inhibition of carbohydrates digestion and absorption(inhibitα-amylase andα-glucosidase activity),regulations of gut microbiota,inflammatory cytokines,and gene and protein expressions in the insulin signaling pathway,as well as amelioration of DM complications.This comprehensive review provides an up-to-date overview of the hypoglycemic properties associated with tea and its bioactive components.It also delves into their potential mechanisms,offering a theoretical foundation for further research into tea's antidiabetic properties and for the development of innovative antidiabetic functional products.
基金supported by the earmarked fund for the Modern Agro-Industry Technology Research System (No.CARS-19)the Innovative Research Team in Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (No.CAAS ASTIP-2014-TRICAAS).
文摘Pyrrolizidine alkaloids(PAs)and their N-oxides(PANOs)are phytotoxins produced by various plant species and have been emerged as environmental pollutants.The sorption/desorption behaviors of PAs/PANOs in soil are crucial due to the horizontal transfer of these natural products from PA-producing plants to soil and subsequently absorbed by plant roots.This study firstly investigated the sorption/desorption behaviors of PAs/PANOs in tea plantation soils with distinct characteristics.Sorption amounts for seneciphylline(Sp)and seneciphylline-N-oxide(SpNO)in three acidic soils ranged from 2.9 to 5.9μg/g and 1.7 to 2.8μg/g,respectively.Desorption percentages for Sp and SpNO were from 22.2%to 30.5%and 36.1%to 43.9%.In the mixed PAs/PANOs systems,stronger sorption of PAs over PANOs was occurred in tested soils.Additionally,the Freundlich models more precisely described the sorption/desorption isotherms.Cation exchange capacity,sand content and total nitrogen were identified as major influencing factors by linear regression models.Overall,the soils exhibiting higher sorption capacities for compounds with greater hydrophobicity.PANOs were more likely to migrate within soils and be absorbed by tea plants.It contributes to the understanding of environmental fate of PAs/PANOs in tea plantations and provides basic data and clues for the development of PAs/PANOs reduction technology.
基金supported by Zhejiang Science and Technology Major Program on Agricultural New Variety Breeding-Tea Plant, China (2021C02067-6)the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFD1200200)+1 种基金the Fundamental Research Fund for Tea Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (1610212022009)the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation, China (Z24C160010) to Chunlei Ma。
文摘Anthracnose is a devastating disease caused by Colletotrichum that significantly affects the yield and economic value of the tea plant(Camellia sinensis). However, few studies have addressed the genetic mechanism of anthracnoseresistance(AR). This study investigated the QTL associated with AR in a 'Longjing 43'×'Baijiguan'(LJ43×BJG)population. The field surveys conducted in this study led to the identification of several QTLs for AR on the linkagemap. One major QTL(qAR-12.4) accounted for 12% of the phenotypic variance explained over two years. The BSA-seq results also revealed two genomic regions, q ARChr1 on chromosome 1 and qARChr13 on chromosome 13,which showed strong correlations with AR. Time-course RNA-seq was performed on LJ43 and BJG inoculated withanthracnose at 0, 24, and 48 hours to screen for candidate genes. The results showed the gradual post-inoculationexpression of a nuclear-localized ERF transcription factor(CsERF105) within the qARChr1 locus in BJG but not inLJ43. The AR of BJG was significantly reduced after feeding with CsERF105-specific antisense oligonucleotides,suggesting that CsERF105 may be a positive regulator. The findings of this study add to our general knowledge ofthe genetic factors involved in the tea plant's AR and potential breeding targets.
基金financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFD1601102)by a key joint grant for regional innovation from the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U19A2034)+2 种基金a key grant for University Synergy Innovation Program of Anhui Province(GXXT-2019-49)a grant from the China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA(CARS-19)a grant for supporting an animal core facility in Anhui Agricultural University from the Department of Sciences and Technology of Anhui Province.
文摘Currently,cultivated tea plants are classified into three varieties,namely,Camellia sinensis var.sinensis,C.sinensis var.assamica,and C.sinensis var.kucha.Three tea varieties made green teas(TVGTs)are widely consumed worldwide.However,a comparative investigation of the beneficial effects,mechanism,and characteristic compounds of TVGTs has not been reported.Here,three representative tea plant varieties,namely,C.sinensis var.sinensis cv.Fuding(FD),C.sinensis var.assamica cv.Yunkang 10(YK),and C.sinensis var.kucha(KC),planted in the same garden,were used to make green teas utilizing the same standard procedure.Our findings show that the TVGTs effectively improved hyperglycemia,obesity,dyslipidemia,fatty liver,and mesenteric artery(MA)hypercontractility in mice with diabetes and obesity induced by a high-fat diet(HFD)after 11-and 22-week interventions,with YK being the most effective at 22 weeks.Liver lipidomics indicated that the TVGTs restored the glycerophospholipid and sphingolipid balance and reduced triglycerides,with YK demonstrating superior effects.The TVGTs,particularly YK,suppressed triglyceride synthesis through the ARV1-FXR-SHP-SREBP-1c pathway.A chemical profile analysis revealed that YK green tea had enriched active compounds,including caffeine,quinic acid,L-theanine,gallic acid,and catechins,compared with FD and KC green teas,which may contribute to ameliorating diabetic dyslipidemia via synergistic action.As a representative tea variety of C.sinensis var.assamica,YK green tea was found to be superior to the other two green teas in preventing and treating diabetic dyslipidemia,especially with long term consumption.These data provide important information for tea plant breeders and tea consumers.
基金Project supported by the Consulting Project of the Chinese Academy of Engineering(No.2012-XY-17),China
文摘Originating in China, tea and tea planting have spread throughout the world since the middle of the Tang dynasty. Now people from 160 countries in the world are accustomed to tea drinking. A brief history of tea＇s medicinal role in China and its spread to the world are introduced. The effectiveness of tea active components and tea drinking on major human diseases, including cancer, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases, is discussed. Also presented are some related issues, such as the bioavailability of tea active components, the new formulations of tea polyphenols, and the safety for consumers of dietary supplements containing tea polyphenols.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31271875)the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province(No.Y16C160009)the Key Research Projects of Zhejiang(No.2515C02001),China
文摘Tea is one of the three greatest beverages in the world. In China, green tea has the largest consumption, and needle-shaped green tea, such as Maofeng tea and Sparrow Tongue tea, accounts for more than 40% of green tea （Zhu et al., 2017）. The appearance of green tea is one of the important indexes during the evaluation of green tea quality.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31270734)the Construction Project of Modern Agricultural Technology System(No.CARS-23)the Zhejiang Provincial Science and Technology Plan Project(No.2007C12G3020014),China
文摘Methyl jasmonate（MeJA） was widely applied in promoting food quality.Aroma is one of the key indicators in judging the quality of tea.This study examined the effect of exogenous MeJA treatment on tea aroma.The aroma components in black tea prepared from MeJA-treated fresh tea leaves were extracted using headspace solid-phase microextraction（HS-SPME） and were analyzed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry（GC-MS） and GC-olfactometry（GC-O）.Forty-five volatile compounds were identified.The results revealed that the MeJA-treated black tea had higher levels of terpene alcohols and hexenyl esters than the untreated tea.Moreover,several newly components,including copaene,cubenol,and indole,were induced by the MeJA treatment.The activities of polyphenol oxidase and β-glucosidase in fresh tea leaves changed after the MeJA treatment.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction（qRT-PCR） analysis indicated that the gene expression levels of polyphenol oxidase and β-primeverosidase were upregulated by two and three folds,respectively,by the MeJA treatment（P0.01）; however,the gene expression of β-glucosidase was downregulated to a half level.In general,the aroma quality of the MeJAtreated black tea was clearly improved.
基金financially supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2018YFC1604402)the Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province, China (LY17C140002)+1 种基金the Fundamental and Public Welfare of Zhejiang Province, China (LGN18C160006)the College Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship of Zhejiang Province, China (2017R409055)
文摘Thirteen volatile compounds were identified from Flemingia macrophylla plants. Eight major components significantly attracted the tea green leafhoppers, Empoasca flavescens F. Based on their relative abundances, following synthetic blends were made for field experiments: 1) eight-component-attractant blend included Z-3-hexen-1-ol, Z-3-hexenyl acetate, Z-ocimene, Me SA, Z-3-hexenyl butyrate, dodecane, hexadecane and nonanal at 10, 10, 1, 11, 2, 6, 2 and 4 mg mL^-1 in n-hexane, respectively;2) four-component-attractant blend #1 contained hexadecane, Z-3-hexenyl acetate, Z-3-hexen-1-ol and nonanal at 2, 10, 10 and 4 mg mL^-1 in n-hexane, respectively;3) four-component-attractant blend #2 contained hexadecane, Z-3-hexenyl acetate, Z-3-hexen-1-ol and Me SA at 2, 10, 10 and 11 mg mL^-1 in n-hexane, respectively. Thymol and 1-methoxy-4-methyl-2-(1-methylethyl)-benzene, identified from Lavandula angustifolia aeration samples, significantly repelled the leafhopper as strong repellents when tested alone or in combination at 10 mg mL^-1. For field bioassays, each attractant lure was attached to a bud green sticky board hung from a bamboo stick at above tea plant level for catching the leafhoppers, whereas the repellent dispenser was tied to a tea branch inside tea clump for pushing the leafhoppers away from tea clumps. The results showed that the eight-component-attractant blend caught similar numbers of the leafhopper as did the four-component-attractant blend #1 at about 53–79 leafhoppers/trap/day, which were significantly higher than those on the hexane-control bud green sticky boards. Average leafhopper catches from un-baited sticky boards were about 51–73 leafhoppers/trap/day when pushed by the repellents placed inside tea plants, with the two-component-repellent blend being more effective than their single components. When the two-component-repellent blend was further tested with the three attractant blends in a push-pull fashion, average trap catches ranged from 62 to 92 leafhoppers/trap/day. Control efficacy on the leafhoppers within the push-pull zones increased progressively from day 1(43%) to day 5(73%). This push-pull approach might have a great potential as a green control strategy for combating the tea green leafhoppers.
基金sponsored by the Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund(1610212016019 and 1610212018015)the Modern Agricultural Industry Technology System(CARS-23)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31401758).
文摘Plants release large amounts of volatile organic compounds(VOCs)in response to attackers.Several VOCs can serve as volatile signals to elicit defense responses in undamaged tissues and neighboring plants,but many questions about the ecological functions of VOCs remain unanswered.Tea plants are impacted by two harmful invaders,the piercing herbivore Empoasca(Matsumurasca)onukii Matsuda and the pathogen Colletotrichum fructicola.To determine the VOC signals in tea,we confirmed CsOPR3 as a marker gene and set up a rapid screening method based on a 1.51 kb CsOPR3 promoter fused with aβ-glucuronidase(GUS)reporter construct(OPR3p::GUS)in Arabidopsis.Using this screening system,a terpenoid volatile(E)-nerolidol was identified as a potent signal that elicits plant defenses.The early responses triggered by(E)-nerolidol included the activation of a mitogen-activated protein kinase and WRKY,an H2O2 burst,and the induction of jasmonic acid and abscisic acid signaling.The induced plants accumulated high levels of defenserelated chemicals,which possessed broad-spectrum anti-herbivore or anti-pathogen properties,and ultimately triggered resistance against Empoasca onukii and Colletotrichum fructicola in tea.We propose that these findings can supply an environmentally friendly management strategy for controlling an insect pest and a disease of tea plants.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 31600558 and 31400587)the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu, China (No. BK20160590)+1 种基金the Earmarked Fund for Modern Agro-industry Technology Research System of China (No. CARS-19)the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Fund of Jiangsu, China (No. CX(13)5016)
文摘Cultivated tea(Camellia sinensis) plants acidify the rhizosphere, and Aluminum(Al) toxicity is recognized as a major limiting factor for plant growth in acidic soils. However, the mechanisms responsible for rhizosphere acidification associated with Al have not been fully elucidated. The present study examined the effect of Al on root-induced rhizosphere acidification, plasma membrane H^+-adenosine triphosphatase(H^+-ATPase) activity, and cation-anion balance in tea plant roots. The exudation of H^+from tea plant roots with or without Al treatment was visualized using an agar sheet with bromocresol purple. The H^+-ATPase activity of plasma membranes isolated from the roots was measured after hydrolysis using the two-phase partition system. The Al treatment strongly enhanced the exudation of H^+, and the acidification of tea plant roots by Al was closely associated with plasma membrane H^+-ATPase activity. The root plasma membrane H^+-ATPase activity increased with Al concentration. The Al content, amount of protons released, and H^+-ATPase activity were significantly higher in roots treated with Al than in those untreated. The results of the cation-anion balance in roots showed an excess of cations relative to anions, with the amount of excess cation uptake increasing with increasing Al concentrations. These suggest that Al-enhanced proton release is associated with plasma membrane H^+-ATPase activity and excess cation uptake. Findings of this study would provide insights into the contributing factors of soil acidification in tea plantations.
基金supported by the Ministry of Agriculture of China through the Earmarked Fund for China Agriculture Research System(CARS-019)the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences through the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program(CAAS-ASTIP-2017-TRICAAS)to L.C.the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant LQ20C160010)to J.-D.C.
文摘Tea is one of the most popular nonalcoholic beverages due to its characteristic secondary metabolites with numerous health benefits.Although two draft genomes of tea plant(Camellia sinensis)have been published recently,the lack of chromosome-scale assembly hampers the understanding of the fundamental genomic architecture of tea plant and potential improvement.Here,we performed a genome-wide chromosome conformation capture technique(Hi-C)to obtain a chromosome-scale assembly based on the draft genome of C.sinensis var.sinensis and successfully ordered 2984.7 Mb(94.7%)scaffolds into 15 chromosomes.The scaffold N50 of the improved genome was 218.1 Mb,~157-fold higher than that of the draft genome.Collinearity comparison of genome sequences and two genetic maps validated the high contiguity and accuracy of the chromosome-scale assembly.We clarified that only one Camellia recent tetraploidization event(CRT,58.9–61.7 million years ago(Mya))occurred after the core-eudicot common hexaploidization event(146.6–152.7 Mya).Meanwhile,9243 genes(28.6%)occurred in tandem duplication,and most of these expanded after the CRT event.These gene duplicates increased functionally divergent genes that play important roles in tea-specific biosynthesis or stress response.Sixty-four catechin-and caffeine-related quantitative trait loci(QTLs)were anchored to chromosome assembly.Of these,two catechin-related QTL hotspots were derived from the CRT event,which illustrated that polyploidy has played a dramatic role in the diversification of tea germplasms.The availability of a chromosome-scale genome of tea plant holds great promise for the understanding of genome evolution and the discovery of novel genes contributing to agronomically beneficial traits in future breeding programs.
文摘Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability （DUS） testing is the technical base of Plant Variety Protection （PVP） and the scientific basis for the approval of Plant Breeder＇s Rights （PBR）. DUS Test Guidelines are not only the technical manuals for the DUS testing authorities to conduct the testing, but also the technical standards for the competent authorities to examine the DUS of new varieties of plants. Tea plant, originated from Yunnan Province, China, is a very important woody cash species in the world. The International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants （UPOV） DUS Test Guidelines for tea plant is the first Test Guidelines prepared by China for the UPOV. In this article, the subject, selection, and determination of characteristics, states of expression of characteristics and the selection of example varieties, assessment of the UPOV DUS Test Guidelines for tea plant were elucidated in detail. Finally, the proposal of PVP for tea plant in China was also proposed. The preparation of UPOV DUS Test Guidelines for tea plant will have important significance both for promoting the development of PVP and increasing the status of international PVP fields for China.
基金This work was supported by the Earmarked Fund for China Agriculture Research System(CARS-19)the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences through an Innovation Project for Agricultural Sciences and Technology(CAAS-ASTIP-2017-TRICAAS)+1 种基金China Postdoctoral Science Foundation Funded Project(Project No.:2017M620970)Zhejiang Province Postdoctoral Science Foundation Funded Project.
文摘Anthracnose causes severe losses of tea production in China.Although genes and biological processes involved in anthracnose resistance have been reported in other plants,the molecular response to anthracnose in tea plant is unknown.We used the susceptible tea cultivar Longjing 43 and the resistant cultivar Zhongcha 108 as materials and compared transcriptome changes in the leaves of both cultivars following Colletotrichum fructicola inoculation.In all,9015 and 8624 genes were differentially expressed between the resistant and susceptible cultivars and their controls(0 h),respectively.In both cultivars,the differentially expressed genes(DEGs)were enriched in 215 pathways,including responses to sugar metabolism,phytohormones,reactive oxygen species(ROS),biotic stimuli and signalling,transmembrane transporter activity,protease activity and signalling receptor activity,but DEG expression levels were higher in Zhongcha 108 than in Longjing 43.Moreover,functional enrichment analysis of the DEGs showed that hydrogen peroxide(H2O2)metabolism,cell death,secondary metabolism,and carbohydrate metabolism are involved in the defence of Zhongcha 108,and 88 key genes were identified.Protein–protein interaction(PPI)network demonstrated that putative mitogen-activated protein kinase(MAPK)cascades are activated by resistance(R)genes and mediate downstream defence responses.Histochemical analysis subsequently validated the strong hypersensitive response(HR)and H2O2 accumulation that occurred around the hyphal infection sites in Zhongcha 108.Overall,our results indicate that the HR and H2O2 are critical mechanisms in tea plant defence against anthracnose and may be activated by R genes via MAPK cascades.
基金Project supported by the Fund Program Management in Conversionof Achievement of the Ministry Science and Technology of China (No.03EFN213300109)the Natural Science Foundation of ZhejiangProvince,China (No. Y304473)
文摘It is important to research the rules about accumulation and distribution of arsenic and cadmium by tea plants,which will give us some scientific ideas about how to control the contents of arsenic and cadmium in tea.In this study,by field investigation and pot trial,we found that mobility of arsenic and cadmium in tea plants was low.Most arsenic and cadmium absorbed were fixed in feeding roots and only small amount was transported to the above-ground parts.Distribution of arsenic and cadmium,based on their concentrations of unit dry matter,in tea plants grown on un-contaminated soil was in the order:feeding roots>stems≈main roots>old leaves>young leaves.When tea plants were grown on polluted soils simulated by adding salts of these two metals,feeding roots possibly acted as a buffer and defense,and arsenic and cadmium were transported less to the aboveground parts.The concentration of cadmium in soil significantly and negatively correlated with chlorophyll content,photosynthetic rate,transpiration rate and biomass production of tea plants.
基金This work was supported by Key-Area Research and Development Program of Guangdong Province[2020B020220004]the earmarked fund for the National Modern Agro-industry Technology Research System(CARS-19)+5 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31600550)Science and Technology program of Guangdong Province(2016A030303032 and 2019B030316026)Discipline team building projects of Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences in the 13th Five-Year Period(201619TD)Special funds for scientific innovation strategy-construction of high level Academy of Agriculture Science(R2017PY-QY009)Integrated demonstration of key techniques for the industrial development of featured crops in rocky desertification areas of Yunnan-Guangxi-Guizhou provinces(SMH2019-2021)the Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund for Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences(1630052019022).
文摘The characteristic secondary metabolites in tea(theanine,caffeine,and catechins)are important factors contributing to unique tea flavors.However,there has been relatively little research on molecular markers related to these metabolites.Thus,we conducted a genome-wide association analysis of the levels of these tea flavor-related metabolites in three seasons.The theanine,caffeine,and catechin levels in Population 1 comprising 191 tea plant germplasms were examined,which revealed that their heritability exceeded 0.5 in the analyzed seasons,with the following rank order(highest to lowest heritabilities):(+)-catechin>(−)-gallocatechin gallate>caffeine=(−)-epicatechin>(−)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate>theanine>(−)-epigallocatechin>(−)-epicatechin-3-gallate>catechin gallate>(+)-gallocatechin.The SNPs detected by amplified-fragment SNP and methylation sequencing divided Population 1 into three groups and seven subgroups.An association analysis yielded 307 SNP markers related to theanine,caffeine,and catechins that were common to all three seasons.Some of the markers were pleiotropic.The functional annotation of 180 key genes at the SNP loci revealed that FLS,UGT,MYB,and WD40 domain-containing proteins,as well as ATP-binding cassette transporters,may be important for catechin synthesis.KEGG and GO analyses indicated that these genes are associated with metabolic pathways and secondary metabolite biosynthesis.Moreover,in Population 2(98 tea plant germplasm resources),30 candidate SNPs were verified,including 17 SNPs that were significantly or extremely significantly associated with specific metabolite levels.These results will provide a foundation for future research on important flavor-related metabolites and may help accelerate the breeding of new tea varieties.
基金supported by the Earmarked Fund for China Agriculture Research System(CARS-019)the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences through the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program(CAASASTIP-2017-TRICAAS)to L.C.,and the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31500568)to J.Q.M.
文摘Catechins are the predominant products in tea plants and have essential functions for both plants and humans.Several genes encoding the enzymes regulating catechin biosynthesis have been identified,and the identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)resulting in nonsynonymous mutations within these genes can be used to establish a functional link to catechin content.Therefore,the transcriptomes of two parents and four filial offspring were sequenced using next-generation sequencing technology and aligned to the reference genome to enable SNP mining.Subsequently,176 tea plant accessions were genotyped based on candidate SNPs using kompetitive allelespecific polymerase chain reaction(KASP).The catechin contents of these samples were characterized by highperformance liquid chromatography(HPLC),and analysis of variance(ANOVA)was subsequently performed to determine the relationship between genotypes and catechin content.As a result of these efforts,a SNP within the chalcone synthase(CHS)gene was shown to be functionally associated with catechin content.Furthermore,the geographical and interspecific distribution of this SNP was investigated.Collectively,these results will contribute to the early evaluation of tea plants and serve as a rapid tool for accelerating targeted efforts in tea breeding.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31670685)Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(LZ22C160008)+2 种基金Key Scientific and Technological Grant of Zhejiang for Breeding New Agricultural Varieties(2021C02067)to J.-Q.J.the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences through the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program(CAASASTIP-2021-TRICAAS)the China Agricultural Research System of MOF and MARA(CARS-19)to L.C.,the Zhejiang Provincial Natural Science Foundation of China(LQ20C160010)to J.-D.C.
文摘Caffeine is an important functional component in tea,which has the effect of excitement and nerve stimulation,but excessive intake can cause insomnia and dysphoria.Therefore,the production of tea with low-caffeine content can meet the consumption needs of certain people.Here,in addition to the previous alleles of the tea caffeine synthase(TCS1)gene,a new allele(TCS1h)from tea germplasms was identified.Results of in vitro activity analysis showed that TCS1h had both theobromine synthase(TS)and caffeine synthase(CS)activities.Site-directed mutagenesis experiments of TCS1a,TCS1c,and TCS1h demonstrated that apart from the 225th amino acid residue,the 269th amino acid also determined the CS activity.GUS histochemical analysis and dual-luciferase assay indicated the low promoter activity of TCS1e and TCS1f.In parallel,insertion and deletion mutations in large fragments of alleles and experiments of site-directed mutagenesis identified a key cis-acting element(G-box).Furthermore,it was found that the contents of purine alkaloids were related to the expression of corresponding functional genes and alleles,and the absence or presence and level of gene expression determined the content of purine alkaloids in tea plants to a certain extent.In summary,we concluded TCS1 alleles into three types with different functions and proposed a strategy to effectively enhance low-caffeine tea germplasms in breeding practices.This research provided an applicable technical avenue for accelerating the cultivation of specific low-caffeine tea plants.
基金supported by grants from National Key Research and Development Program of China(2021YFD1200200)the Major Project of Agricultural Science and Technology in Breeding of Tea Plant Variety in Zhejiang Province(2021C02067)+2 种基金the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences through the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program(CAASASTIP-2017-TRICAAS)the Earmarked Fund for China Agriculture Research System of MOF and MARA(CARS-19)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(U22A20500,32202553).
文摘Dear Editor,The timing of the spring bud f lush(TBF)is a crucial agro-nomic trait for the tea plant,as it strongly influences the yield and economic value of harvested fresh tea leaves.The TBF of tea plant is generally defined as the date when>30%of the growing tender shoots have reached the stage of one bud with one to three leaves,referred as to the stage of one and a bud,two and a bud,and three and a bud,respectively.
