Lipidomic profiling reveals dynamic lipid accumulation patterns during Torreya grandis nut development

Torreya grandis nuts exhibited rapid growth during May, July, and September, with significant increases in both size, weight, and nutrition. Lipids are the predominant component of T. grandis, and dynamic changes and accumulation mechanisms remain poorly elucidated. Comprehensive lipidomic, gene expression and phytohormone levels analyses were conducted to characterize temporal lipid remodeling across these three critical developmental phases. A total of 453 lipid molecules were identified, spanning 14 major classes and 29 subclasses. Distinct stage-specific lipid accumulation patters indicative of shifting metabolic priorities during nut maturation was seen. K-means clustering segregated lipid expression profiles into 12 clusters dominated by glycerophospholipids, glycerolipids, and saccharolipids. Transcriptome and metabolomics analyses revealed that 11,885 differentially expressed genes (TgACC, TgFAS, TgGPAT, TgLPAT, TgDGAT, TgFAD, and TgACBP et al.) and eight classes of phytohormones (cytokinin, jasmonic acid, gibberellin, salicylic acid, and ethylene et al.) collectively regulate lipid accumulation through either individual or synergistic mechanisms.