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Caffeine Extraction, Enzymatic Activity and Gene Expression of Caffeine Synthase from Plant Cell Suspensions
Published on: October 2, 2018
CsDRMH3 in tea plant (Camellia sinensis): functional study on mediating caffeine biosynthesis in relation to bud
Qing Wen1, Miao Li2, Yongqin Bai2
1College of Tea Science, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China.
Background:
Caffeine is a key secondary metabolite in tea plants, and its content is directly related to tea quality and the ability to relieve fatigue by stimulating neurons. Although studies have focused on the characteristics of caffeine accumulation, the specific effects of the CsDRMH3 gene on caffeine content in dormant and non-dormant buds of tea plants have not been systematically characterized. The purpose of the present study was to systematically analyze the effect of CsDRMH3 on caffeine accumulation in dormant and non-dormant buds and to clarify the correlation between the two, thereby laying an important theoretical foundation for directional regulation of caffeine content and improvement of tea quality.
Results:
The present study systematically analyzed the correlation between CsDRMH3 and caffeine accumulation in dormant and non-dormant buds of tea plants. CsDRMH3 belongs to the DRM1/ARP family with functions related to dormancy and auxin repression and is localized to the nucleus, as confirmed by subcellular localization. Transient overexpression of CsDRMH3 resulted in a significant reduction in caffeine accumulation in buds, whereas silencing CsDRMH3 through virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) significantly increases caffeine content. Moreover, CsDRMH3 expression exhibited responsive patterns to abscisic acid (ABA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) signals in the two types of buds.
Conclusions:
The results present a systematic characterization of the links among CsDRMH3 expression features, dynamic variations in caffeine accumulation in dormant and non-dormant buds, and the responsiveness of caffeine accumulation to exogenous hormone signals, providing valuable references and insights for clarifying the role of CsDRMH3 in mediating bud-specific differences in caffeine content.
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