Abstract White celery (Apium graveolens L.), a variety of common celery, is an important leafy vegetable in the Apiaceae family and is famous for its nutritional value. However, limited work has been devoted to quality formation and regulation in white celery. In this study, four white celery varieties, ‘Xuebaiqincai’, ‘Saixue’, ‘Baiganshiqin’ and ‘Ruixue’, were selected and analyzed for the comparison of ascorbic acid (AsA) and lignin levels, which are two important quality evaluation indicators in celery. The expression levels of the genes involved in AsA and lignin metabolic pathways were also detected. In the leaf blades, the AsA content was highest in ‘Xuebaiqincai’ compared with other varieties, whereas the most abundant AsA levels in the petioles were observed in ‘Baiganshiqin’ and ‘Ruixue’. The expression levels of AsA-related genes varied among the studied varieties. The highest level was detected in ‘Xuebaiqincai’, whereas other varieties exhibited relatively lower levels. The lignin content in the leaf blades was lower than that in the petioles. Correspondingly, the transcript profiles of genes involved in lignin biosynthesis were in accordance with the different levels in the petioles and blades. The results of this study provide potentially useful information for white celery breeding aimed at quality improvement and regulation.

中文翻译：

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四种白芹菜品种抗坏血酸和木质素积累的比较及代谢途径相关基因的转录分析

摘要 白芹(Apium Graveolens L.)是芹菜的变种，是伞形科重要的叶菜类蔬菜，以营养价值着称。然而，致力于白芹菜品质形成和调控的工作有限。本研究选取了‘雪白芹菜’、‘赛雪’、‘白干石芹’和‘瑞雪’4个白芹品种，对抗坏血酸(AsA)和木质素水平进行了比较分析，这两个重要的质量评价指标是芹菜。还检测了参与 AsA 和木质素代谢途径的基因的表达水平。在叶片中，与其他品种相比，'雪白芹菜'的AsA含量最高，而'白干石芹'和'瑞雪'的叶柄中AsA含量最高。AsA 相关基因的表达水平在所研究的品种中有所不同。'雪白芹菜'的含量最高，而其他品种的含量相对较低。叶片木质素含量低于叶柄。相应地，参与木质素生物合成的基因的转录谱与叶柄和叶片中的不同水平一致。本研究的结果为旨在提高和调节质量的白芹菜育种提供了潜在有用的信息。参与木质素生物合成的基因的转录谱与叶柄和叶片中的不同水平一致。本研究的结果为旨在提高和调节质量的白芹菜育种提供了潜在有用的信息。参与木质素生物合成的基因的转录谱与叶柄和叶片中的不同水平一致。本研究的结果为旨在提高和调节质量的白芹菜育种提供了潜在有用的信息。