Adaptive genomic evolution and WD40-regulated temporal dynamics of anthocyanins support leaf photoplasticity in
Jinwen Chen1,2,3, Qian Zhou1,2,3, Xi Huang1,2,3
1Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210014, China.
Background:
Parrotia subaequalis, a Tertiary relict endemic to China, plays a significant role in phylogeny and adaptive evolution as a key species in the early differentiation of angiosperms. It has abundant leaf colors and great potential as an ornamental tree.
Results:
This study assembled the first chromosome-level genome of P. subaequalis (Contig N50 = 2.15 Mb), revealing transposable element proliferation, key paleopolyploid events and dynamic gene family evolution, including the expansion of secondary metabolite transport and synthesis genes (such as WD40, 2OG-FeII_Oxy) and the contraction of gene families related to flower morphogenesis (such as F-box-like, K-box). Through integrative transcriptomics and targeted metabolomics approaches, we further revealed that the color transition of young leaves from red to green was driven by temporal accumulation differences of malvidin-3,5-O-diglucoside, whose biosynthesis is progressively down-regulated during leaf development. WGCNA revealed that a subset of WD40 genes (light-signaling, TTG1/HOS15-like, etc.) coexpresses with anthocyanin biosynthetic genes, like 4CLL9, GT1, in anthocyanin-related modules enriched for auxin signaling and hydrolase activity, suggesting a potential link between WD40 expansion and photoprotective plasticity. Relevant regulatory networks were found to complement the species-specific gene pool related to leaf color regulation.
Conclusion:
This genomic resource of P. subaequalis advanced our understanding of early angiosperm adaptation through neofunctionalized regulatory networks and established a foundation for molecular breeding aimed at enhancing environmental resilience while preserving ornamental traits.
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