TY  - EJOU
AU  - Wang, Jiali 
AU  - Chen, Xiangmei 
AU  - Huang, Xiaozhen 
AU  - Zhao, Yichen 
AU  - Zhao, Degang 

TI  - Cloning and Function Identification of a Phytoene Desaturase Gene from <i>Eucommia ulmoides</i>
T2  - Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany

PY  - 2023
VL  - 92
IS  - 5
SN  - 1851-5657

AB  - The phytoene desaturase (<i>PDS</i>) encodes a crucial enzyme in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway. Silencing or inhibiting <i>PDS</i> expression leads to the appearance of mottled, chlorosis, or albino leaves. In this study, the CDS sequence of <i>EuPDS</i> (<i>Eucommia ulmoides</i> Phytoene Desaturase) was first cloned and then <i>PDS</i> was silenced in <i>Nicotiana benthamiana</i>. Result showed the expression level of <i>EuPDS</i> in leaves was higher than that in the roots and stems. In <i>N. benthamiana</i> leaves, which were treated by <i>Agrobacterium</i> for 24 h, photo-bleaching was shown on the fresh leaves one week after injection and the transcript level of <i>PDS</i> was down-regulated during the period of emersion. This suggested that <i>EuPDS</i> could silence <i>PDS</i> of <i>N. benthamiana</i>, so as to cause the phenotype of leaf whitening. <i>PDS</i> is the main reporter gene involved in virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS). This study offered molecular evidence for identifying <i>PDS</i> gene involved in Carotenoid’s biosynthesis pathway and the regulation networks in <i>E. ulmides</i>. It also laid a useful foundation for study on leaf discoloration mechanism of other woody plants.
KW  - <i>Eucommia ulmoides</i>; EuPDS; virus-induced gene silencing; TRV; relative expression

DO  - 10.32604/phyton.2023.026830