Journal Article

Integrated analyses of transcriptome, metabolome and floral B-class genes reveal sexual dimorphism in Eucommia ulmoides

Li, Yongquan, Wang, Xinyi, Wang, Wencai, Zhang, Xianzhi, He, Wenliang, Liu, Zhaojun

2025

Overview

Eucommia ulmoides is a dioecious plant species that has been widely utilized as an important traditional Chinese medicine. To investigate sexual dimorphism and its underling molecular basis in E. ulmoides , we conducted an integrated analysis of transcriptomic and metabolomic data, alongside functional gene studies, for the first time. The results revealed that 8,811 (43.72%) of genes expressed in flowers were sex-biased genes, significantly more than the 116 (0.078%) identified in leaves. Among these, two male-biased and four female-biased genes consistently expressed in both flowers and leaves were identified, including two B-class floral organ identity genes, i.e. AP3 -like EuMADS39 and PI -like EuMADS28 . Additionally, 123 differentially abundant metabolites were detected between male and female flowers. Functional analyses demonstrated that protein EuMADS39 and EuMADS28 are both localized in the nucleus and capable of forming a protein complex. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants co-expressing EuMADS39 and EuMADS28 exhibited an increased number of stamens (7) compared to wild-type plants (6), confirming their roles as B-class genes in the development of unisexual flowers in E. ulmoides . In summary, this study uncovered the sexual dimorphisms in gene expression and metabolite profiles of E. ulmoides , and validated the role of B-class genes in sexual dimorphism of E. ulmoides . Clinical trial number Not applicable.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Agriculture / Animal reproduction / Arabidopsis / Arabidopsis - genetics / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biosynthesis / Botanical research / clinical trials / Dimorphism (Biology) / dioecy / Eucommia ulmoides / Eucommiaceae - genetics / Eucommiaceae - metabolism / Females / Flavonoids / Floral B-class genes / Flowers / Flowers & plants / Flowers - genetics / Flowers - metabolism / Gene expression / Gene Expression Profiling / Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Genes / Genes, Plant / Genetic aspects / genetically modified organisms / Herbal medicine / Identification and classification / Leaves / Life Sciences / Males / Metabolism / Metabolites / Metabolome / Metabolomics / Oriental traditional medicine / Photosynthesis / Physiological aspects / Plant Leaves - genetics / Plant Leaves - metabolism / Plant metabolites / Plant Proteins - genetics / Plant Proteins - metabolism / Plant Sciences / Plant species / Plants (botany) / Plants, Genetically Modified / Proteins / Secondary metabolites / Sex Characteristics / Sexual dimorphism / species / Stamens / Traditional Chinese medicine / Transcriptome / Transcriptomes / Transcriptomics / Transgenic plants / Tree Biology