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Cytokinin (6-benzylaminopurine) elevates lignification and the expression of genes involved in lignin biosynthesis of carrot

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Carrot is a root crop consumed worldwide and has great nutritional qualities. It is considered as one of the ten most important vegetable crops. Cytokinins are an essential class of the plant hormones that regulate many processes of plant growth. Till now, the effects of cytokinin, BAP, on lignin biosynthesis and related gene expression profiles in carrot taproot is unclear. In order to investigate the effect of applied BAP on lignin-related gene expression profiles, lignin accumulation, anatomical structures, and morphological characters in carrot taproots. Carrot roots were treated with different concentrations of BAP (0, 10, 20, and 30 mg L−1). The results showed that the application of BAP significantly increased plant length, shoot fresh weight, root fresh weight, and taproot diameter. In addition, BAP at 20 mg L−1 or 30 mg L−1 enhanced the average number of petioles. BAP treatment led to increased number and width of xylem vessels. The parenchyma cell numbers of pith were significantly induced in taproots treated with the BAP at a concentration of 30 mg L−1. BAP significantly upregulated most of the expression levels of lignin biosynthesis genes, caused elevated lignin accumulation in carrot taproots. Our results indicate that BAP may play important roles in growth development and lignification in carrot taproots. Our results provide a valuable database for more studies, which may focus on the regulation of root lignification via controlling cytokinin levels in carrot taproots.

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Abbreviations

4CL:

4-Coumarate-CoA ligase

BAP:

6-Benzylaminopurine

C3’H:

p-Coumaroyl shikimate/quinate 3-hydroxylase

C4H:

Cinnamate 4-hydroxylase

CAD:

Cinnamyl alcohol dehydrogenase

CCoAOMT:

Caffeoyl-CoA O-methyltransferase

CCR:

Cinnamoyl-CoA reductase

COMT:

Caffeic acid O-methyltransferase

DW:

Dry weight

F5H:

Ferulate 5-hydroxylase

HCT:

Hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA shikimate/quinate

LAC:

Laccase

PAL:

Phenylalanine ammonia lyase

PER:

Peroxidase

RT-qPCR:

Real-time quantitative PCR

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Acknowledgments

The research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (31872098), the Open Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Nanjing Agricultural University (ZW201905) and Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions (PAPD).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, Nanjing, 210095, Jiangsu, China

    Ahmed Khadr, Ya-Hui Wang, Rong-Rong Zhang, Xin-Rui Wang, Zhi-Sheng Xu & Ai-Sheng Xiong

  2. Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Damanhour University, Damanhour, 22516, Egypt

    Ahmed Khadr

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  1. Ahmed Khadr
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Contributions

Conceived and designed the experiments: ASX, AK. Performed the experiments: AK, YHW, RRZ, and XRW. Analyzed the data: AK, YHW, RRZ, and ZSX. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: ASX. Wrote the paper: AK. Revised the paper: ASX. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Ai-Sheng Xiong.

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Khadr, A., Wang, YH., Zhang, RR. et al. Cytokinin (6-benzylaminopurine) elevates lignification and the expression of genes involved in lignin biosynthesis of carrot. Protoplasma 257, 1507–1517 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00709-020-01527-8

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