Integrated metabolomic-transcriptomic profiling of dwarf Camellia reticulata ‘Hentiangao’ reveals key gibberellin metabolism genes and multi-hormone crosstalk under GA3 treatment
- 1Leisure Agriculture Research Section, Lianyungang Academy of Agricultural Sciences
- 2Flower Research Institute, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Abstract
Background Camellia reticulata ‘Hentiangao’, a dwarf camellia cultivar, possesses distinctive ornamental traits and high value for urban landscaping. Dwarfism is an important agronomic and ornamental trait, and gibberellin (GA) plays a central role in regulating stem elongation and plant height. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its dwarf phenotype and the interactions between stem development and endogenous hormone networks remain unclear, limiting the promotion and targeted breeding of this cultivar. We analyzed shoot tips of C. reticulata ‘Hentiangao’ treated with 800 mg·L-1 GA3 at three growth stages (S1, S2, and S3; representing 0 d, 20 d, and 35 d after GA₃ treatment, corresponding to the untreated baseline stage, rapid internode elongation stage, and late developmental stage, respectively) using integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic approaches. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) was used for metabolite detection, and Illumina HiSeq was used for transcriptome sequencing. Additionally, histological observations, endogenous hormone measurements, and differential gene expression analyses were conducted to characterize stem developmental changes induced by GA3. Results LC–MS analysis identified 31, 35, and 22 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) in S1/S2 (S2 vs. S1), S1/S3 (S3 vs. S1), and S2/S3 (S3 vs. S2), respectively, with six DAMs shared among comparisons. Transcriptome sequencing generated 255,131 unigenes, of which 138,761 were annotated. A total of 4,396 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 4,366 stage-specific and 30 common DEGs. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis identified 36 DEGs associated with hormone pathways, particularly auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellin metabolism. Key genes (KAO, GA20ox, GA3ox, and GA2ox) and the DELLA protein were predicted to participate in GA biosynthesis and signaling. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of six GA pathway genes (DELLA, KO, KAO, GA20ox, GA3ox, and GA2ox) showed expression patterns that were significantly correlated with transcriptome TPM values (P < 0.01), validating the transcriptome data reliability. Conclusions Our findings suggest that stem growth is regulated by a multi-hormonal network, with GA, auxin, and abscisic acid playing major roles during early development, whereas cytokinin, ethylene, and jasmonic acid become more influential at later stages. These results provide a preliminary basis for understanding the hormonal regulation of dwarfing in C. reticulata ‘Hentiangao’ and offer valuable insights for future fundamental research.
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BibTeX
@article{wang2026integrated,
title = {{Integrated metabolomic-transcriptomic profiling of dwarf Camellia reticulata ‘Hentiangao’ reveals key gibberellin metabolism genes and multi-hormone crosstalk under GA3 treatment}},
author = {Jiangying Wang and Xueyan Tang and Xingman Liu and Xu Zheng and Pengbo Zhu and Mingwei Sun and Xiaoxiao Wang and Haochuan Yun and Jintao Ge and Xianmin Li},
journal = {BMC Plant Biology},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12870-026-09639-8},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-09639-8},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Integrated metabolomic-transcriptomic profiling of dwarf Camellia reticulata ‘Hentiangao’ reveals key gibberellin metabolism genes and multi-hormone crosstalk under GA3 treatment
AU - Jiangying Wang
AU - Xueyan Tang
AU - Xingman Liu
AU - Xu Zheng
AU - Pengbo Zhu
AU - Mingwei Sun
AU - Xiaoxiao Wang
AU - Haochuan Yun
AU - Jintao Ge
AU - Xianmin Li
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - BMC Plant Biology
DO - 10.1186/s12870-026-09639-8
UR - https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-09639-8
AB - Background Camellia reticulata ‘Hentiangao’, a dwarf camellia cultivar, possesses distinctive ornamental traits and high value for urban landscaping. Dwarfism is an important agronomic and ornamental trait, and gibberellin (GA) plays a central role in regulating stem elongation and plant height. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its dwarf phenotype and the interactions between stem development and endogenous hormone networks remain unclear, limiting the promotion and targeted breeding of this cultivar. We analyzed shoot tips of C. reticulata ‘Hentiangao’ treated with 800 mg·L-1 GA3 at three growth stages (S1, S2, and S3; representing 0 d, 20 d, and 35 d after GA₃ treatment, corresponding to the untreated baseline stage, rapid internode elongation stage, and late developmental stage, respectively) using integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic approaches. Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) was used for metabolite detection, and Illumina HiSeq was used for transcriptome sequencing. Additionally, histological observations, endogenous hormone measurements, and differential gene expression analyses were conducted to characterize stem developmental changes induced by GA3. Results LC–MS analysis identified 31, 35, and 22 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) in S1/S2 (S2 vs. S1), S1/S3 (S3 vs. S1), and S2/S3 (S3 vs. S2), respectively, with six DAMs shared among comparisons. Transcriptome sequencing generated 255,131 unigenes, of which 138,761 were annotated. A total of 4,396 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified, including 4,366 stage-specific and 30 common DEGs. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis identified 36 DEGs associated with hormone pathways, particularly auxin, cytokinin, and gibberellin metabolism. Key genes (KAO, GA20ox, GA3ox, and GA2ox) and the DELLA protein were predicted to participate in GA biosynthesis and signaling. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis of six GA pathway genes (DELLA, KO, KAO, GA20ox, GA3ox, and GA2ox) showed expression patterns that were significantly correlated with transcriptome TPM values (P < 0.01), validating the transcriptome data reliability. Conclusions Our findings suggest that stem growth is regulated by a multi-hormonal network, with GA, auxin, and abscisic acid playing major roles during early development, whereas cytokinin, ethylene, and jasmonic acid become more influential at later stages. These results provide a preliminary basis for understanding the hormonal regulation of dwarfing in C. reticulata ‘Hentiangao’ and offer valuable insights for future fundamental research.
SN - 1471-2229
ER -