Characterization and Functional Analysis of Phytoene Synthase Gene Family in Tobacco
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Wang et al. BMC Plant Biology (2021) 21:32 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-020-02816-3 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Characterization and functional analysis of phytoene synthase gene family in tobacco Zhaojun Wang1†, Lin Zhang1,2,3†, Chen Dong2, Jinggong Guo4, Lifeng Jin2, Pan Wei2, Feng Li2, Xiaoquan Zhang1* and Ran Wang2,5* Abstract Background: Carotenoids play important roles in photosynthesis, hormone signaling, and secondary metabolism. Phytoene synthase (PSY) catalyzes the first step of the carotenoid biosynthetic pathway. In this study, we aimed to characterize the PSY genes in tobacco and analyze their function. Results: In this study, we identified three groups of PSY genes, namely PSY1, PSY2, and PSY3, in four Nicotiana species; phylogenetic analysis indicated that these genes shared a high similarity with those in tomato but not with those in monocots such as rice and maize. The expression levels of PSY1 and PSY2 were observed to be highest in leaves compared to other tissues, and they could be elevated by treatment with certain phytohormones and exposure to strong light. No PSY3 expression was detected under these conditions. We constructed virus-induced PSY1 and PSY2 silencing in tobacco and found that the newly emerged leaves in these plants were characterized by severe bleaching and markedly decreased carotenoid and chlorophyll content. Thylakoid membrane protein complex levels in the gene-silenced plants were also less than those in the control plants. The chlorophyll fluorescence parameters such as Fv/Fm, ΦPSII, qP, and NPQ, which reflect photosynthetic system activities, of the gene-silenced plants were also significantly decreased. We further performed RNA-Seq and metabonomics analysis between gene-silenced tobacco and control plants. RNA-Seq results showed that abiotic stress, isoprenoid compounds, and amino acid catabolic processes were upregulated, whereas the biosynthesis of cell wall components was downregulated. Metabolic analysis results were consistent with the RNA-Seq. We also found the downstream genes in carotenoid biosynthesis pathways were upregulated, and putative transcription factors that regulate carotenoid biosynthesis were identified. Conclusions: Our results suggest that PSY can regulate carotenoid contents not only by controlling the first biosynthesis step but also by exerting effects on the expression of downstream genes, which would thereby affect photosynthetic activity. Meanwhile, PSY may affect other processes such as amino acid catabolism and cell wall organization. The information we report here may aid further research on PSY genes and carotenoid biosynthesis. Keywords: Carotenoids, Phytoene synthase, Tobacco * Correspondence: [email protected]; [email protected] †Zhaojun Wang and Lin Zhang contributed equally to this work. 1College of Tobacco Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China 2China Tobacco Gene Research Center, Zhengzhou Tobacco Research Institute, Zhengzhou 450001, China Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s). 2021 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data. Wang et al. BMC Plant Biology (2021) 21:32 Page 2 of 18 Background of geranylgeranyl diphosphate (GGPP) through the Carotenoids are widely found in photosynthetic organ- addition of three IPP molecules to one DMAPP, whose isms, including plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. Chem- conversion is catalyzed by GGPP synthetase (GGPPS). ically, carotenoids belong to isoprenoid compounds; GGPP is a precursor to several groups of other isopre- typical carotenoids contain 40 carbon atoms (C40) that noids [10]. The next step in carotenoid biosynthesis is are formed by the condensation of eight C5 isoprenoid the production of 40-carbon phytoene through the con- units. The number of conjugated double bounds in their densation of two GGPP molecules; this condensation chemical structure confers them a visible-light absorp- reaction is catalyzed by the enzyme phytoene synthase tion property that produces their characteristic color of (PSY) and is considered the main “bottleneck” in the ca- yellow to red [1, 2]. Carotenoids contain a large number rotenoid biosynthetic pathway [11]. Then, phytoene is of different components; at present, nearly 1200 natural then converted to lycopene through a series of desatur- carotenoids have been found in 700 organisms from all ation and isomerization reactions. Two types of phy- domains of life. Carotenoids that do not contain oxygen toene desaturases, namely phytoene desaturase (PDS) are classified as carotenes, and those that contain oxygen [12] and ζ-carotene desaturase (ZDS) [13], are reportedly are classified as xanthophylls. In addition to the typical responsible for the desaturation reactions, whereas 15- C40 carotenoids, some carotenoids that are shorter cis-ζ-carotene isomerase (Z-ISO) catalyzes the isomeri- (C30) or longer (C45 or C50) have also been found [3]. zation reactions [14]. The next step is the cyclization of Although humans do not metabolically synthesize ca- lycopene, wherein two branches, namely α- and β- rotenoids, carotenoids can be acquired via the consump- branches, which both are converted into different com- tion of food or supplementation. As naturally occurring ponents, are formed. The α-branch is relatively simple; pigments, carotenoids have a range of functions in hu- lycopene is cyclized into δ-carotene with the help of man health. Carotenoids are important antioxidants as lycopene ε-cyclase (LCYE) [15] and further cyclized into they absorb specific wavelengths of light and are the pre- α-carotene by lycopene β-cyclase (LCYB) [16]. α- cursors of vitamin A. Moreover, they play important carotene can be hydroxylated by two types of carotenoid roles in protecting the eyes and in maintaining normal hydroxylases. Carotenoid β-hydroxylase (CHYB, mainly vision. Furthermore, they may protect against certain cytochrome P450 enzymes, CYP97 type) produce zei- types of cancer by enhancing cell communication, sup- noxanthin which is further hydroxylated by carotenoid pressing abnormal cell growth, or providing UV protec- ε-hydroxylase (CHYE, mainly CYP97C1) into lutein. tion. Carotenoids can prevent heart disease by reducing Compared with the α-branch, the β-branch contains oxidized low-density lipoproteins [1, 4]. relatively more steps that lead to many intermediate Carotenoids are also indispensable in plants. They pro- products. First, lycopene undergoes two rounds of vide protection against photooxidative damage; photo- cyclization that is catalyzed by LCYB and leads to the protection is one of their most important functions. production of γ- and β-carotene. Then, β-carotene Under strong light conditions, carotenoids can dissipate undergoes two steps of hydroxylation reaction that is excess energy as heat, eliminate free radicals, and pre- catalyzed by β-carotene hydroxylase (BCH) and leads to vent the lipid peroxidation of membranes, thereby en- the production of β-cryptoxanthin and zeaxanthin [17]. hancing the adaptation of plants to different light Next, a two-step cyclization reaction of zeaxanthin is conditions [5]. Another important function of caroten- catalyzed by the enzyme zeaxanthin epoxidase (ZEP) oids is that it has a role in the reaction center of and forms antheraxanthin and violaxanthin. The last photosystem II. Carotenoids promote the formation of step in the β-branch of the carotenoid biosynthetic path- pigment-protein complexes and assist in energy absorp- way is the conversion of violaxanthin into neoxanthin; tion and electron flow transport [6]. In plants, caroten- this conversion is catalyzed by neoxanthin synthase oids can serve as precursors to phytohormones such as (NXS) [11]. abscisic acid (ABA) [7] and strigolactones [8], which PSY catalyzes the biosynthesis of phytoene from both play vital roles in plant development and stress re- GGPP, which is a common precursor of many other iso- sponses. Additionally, carotenoids play important roles prenoids [10]. The formation of phytoene is the first step in plant reproduction: the different colors that they give in carotenoid biosynthesis and the main bottleneck step can attract animals that help in pollination and seed [18]. PSYs are encoded by small gene families; the genes dispersal [9]. encoding PSY have been identified and isolated in many The biosynthesis of carotenoids in plants is part of the species such as Arabidopsis [19], rice [20], maize [21], isoprenoid precursor metabolism. Starting from isopen- and tomato [22–24],