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Updated: Jun 28, 2025

Biosynthesis of a Flavonol from a Flavanone by Establishing a One-pot Bienzymatic Cascade
Published on: August 14, 2019
Transcriptomic and targeted metabolomic analyses provide insights into the flavonoids biosynthesis in the flowers of
Ling Ling Lv1, Li Yun Li2, Long Qian Xiao2
1Key Laboratory of Research and Utilization of Ethnomedicinal Plant Resources of Hunan Province, Key Laboratory of Hunan Higher Education for Western Hunan Medicinal Plant and Ethnobotany, Huaihua University, 418008, Huaihua, China. 15133253@qq.com.
Background:
Flavonoids are one of the bioactive ingredients of Lonicera macranthoides (L. macranthoides), however, their biosynthesis in the flower is still unclear. In this study, combined transcriptomic and targeted metabolomic analyses were performed to clarify the flavonoids biosynthesis during flowering of L. macranthoides.
Results:
In the three sample groups, GB_vs_WB, GB_vs_WF and GB_vs_GF, there were 25, 22 and 18 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in flavonoids biosynthetic pathway respectively. A total of 339 flavonoids were detected and quantified at four developmental stages of flower in L. macranthoides. In the three sample groups, 113, 155 and 163 differentially accumulated flavonoids (DAFs) were detected respectively. Among the DAFs, most apigenin derivatives in flavones and most kaempferol derivatives in flavonols were up-regulated. Correlation analysis between DEGs and DAFs showed that the down-regulated expressions of the CHS, DFR, C4H, F3'H, CCoAOMT_32 and the up-regulated expressions of the two HCTs resulted in down-regulated levels of dihydroquercetin, epigallocatechin and up-regulated level of kaempferol-3-O-(6''-O-acetyl)-glucoside, cosmosiin and apigenin-4'-O-glucoside. The down-regulated expressions of F3H and FLS decreased the contents of 7 metabolites, including naringenin chalcone, proanthocyanidin B2, B3, B4, C1, limocitrin-3,7-di-O-glucoside and limocitrin-3-O-sophoroside.
Conclusion:
The findings are helpful for genetic improvement of varieties in L.macranthoides.

