The flowering process of lotus is highly sensitive to environmental conditions such as canopy shade and cloudy days, which often lead to abortion of the flower buds. However, the underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Based on transcriptome analysis and genetics screens, we found that silencing of () gene in lotus could promote flowering and reduce flower bud abortion under carbon starvation induced by 70% shade. Transcriptome analysis of -overexpressed or -silenced lotus revealed that DEGs were mainly associated with ROS homeostasis, cell enlargement, and autophagy processes. Excessive autophagy levels and cell death were detected in the aborting flower buds. We further used NnSnRK1 as the bait to screen the yeast two-hybrid library constructed with RNA isolated from mixed lotus flower buds, and identified 14 putative interacting proteins of NnSnRK1. Two novel negative regulators of NnSnRK1, mediator of ABA regulated dormancy1 (NnMARD1) and 4-coumarate-CoA ligase-like 5 (Nn4CLL5), were identified. Overexpression of and could promote flowering of lotus under 70% shade, while silencing of them further inhibited flowering. Our results revealed a NnSnRK1-centring regulatory network that produced aborted flower buds during carbon starvation, which could improve reproductive success, and act like an energy-efficient measure of plants.

中文翻译：

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以 NnSnRK1 为中心的莲花遮荫诱导开花提前终止的调控网络

荷花的开花过程对树冠遮阴、阴天等环境条件高度敏感，常导致花蕾败育。然而，其根本机制仍然很大程度上未知。基于转录组分析和遗传学筛选，我们发现在70%遮荫诱导的碳饥饿下，沉默莲花中的()基因可以促进开花并减少花芽败育。对过表达或沉默莲花的转录组分析表明，DEG 主要与 ROS 稳态、细胞增大和自噬过程相关。在败育的花蕾中检测到过度的自噬水平和细胞死亡。我们进一步以NnSnRK1为诱饵，筛选由混合莲花花蕾中分离的RNA构建的酵母双杂交文库，并鉴定了14个假定的NnSnRK1相互作用蛋白。鉴定出 NnSnRK1 的两个新型负调节因子、ABA 调节休眠调节因子 1 (NnMARD1) 和 4-香豆酸辅酶 A 连接酶样 5 (Nn4CLL5)。在70%遮荫下过表达 和 可以促进荷花开花，而沉默它们则进一步抑制开花。我们的结果揭示了一个以 NnSnRK1 为中心的调控网络，该网络在碳饥饿期间产生了失败的花蕾，这可以提高繁殖成功率，并且起到植物节能措施的作用。