Transcriptomic and metabolomics analyses of shading effects on photosynthesis and cuticular development in Taxus yunnanensis × T. media

Variations in light conditions have a profound effect on plant development, photosynthetic activity and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites. This study aimed to examine the effects of shading on leaf morphology, photosynthesis and wax biosynthesis in Taxus yunnanensis × T. media and to explore the potential regulatory role of light intensity in plant adaptability. The study combines transcriptome sequencing and metabolomics analysis to analyze the physiological characteristics, photosynthetic parameters, wax synthesis gene expression and metabolic changes of plants under five different light intensities. The relationship between wax synthesis genes and MYB was further explored. The results indicate that moderate shading significantly promotes plant height, leaf area and photosynthetic efficiency. It also increases the accumulation of chlorophyll and carotenoids and enhances the efficiency of light capture and utilization. Differentially expressed genes were mainly associated with pathways related to photosynthesis wax biosynthesis and secondary metabolism. The shading treatment also significantly upregulated the expression of genes related to wax synthesis, indicating that wax synthesis is effectively regulated under transcriptional regulation, thereby enhancing the plant's adaptability to environmental changes. Gene co-expression analysis further revealed a significant co-expression relationship between MYB23 transcription factors and these wax synthesis genes, further validating the key role of MYB23 in regulating wax synthesis. This study provides new insights into the adaptive mechanisms of plants under different light conditions and provides a theoretical basis for optimizing plant growth and secondary metabolite production in the future.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-026-01755-x.