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Insights into Candidate Pathways Associated with Multi-Pistil Formation in Chinese Chestnut (Castanea mollissima Bl.): Evidence from Anatomy, Physiology, and Molecular Biology
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National Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
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Key Laboratory of Forest Cultivation and Protection, Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
3
Liaoning Economic Forest Research Institute, Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenyang 116031, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Biology 2026, 15(17), 1459; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15171459
Submission received: 29 July 2026
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Revised: 21 August 2026
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Accepted: 24 August 2026
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Published: 26 August 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Plant Science)
Simple Summary
Chinese chestnut is an economically important nut crop, and its yield is strongly influenced by the pistil number of each female inflorescence. However, the molecular basis for the formation of multi-pistil female flower clusters remains poorly understood. In this work, comparative analyses between multi-pistil and normal female flower clusters were performed by combining anatomical observation, targeted phytohormone metabolomics, and transcriptome sequencing. The observations indicate that pistil primordium differentiation is the critical stage for multi-pistil formation, during which extra floral meristems expand continuously and give rise to new flower primordia. Changes in several plant hormones, including auxin, cytokinin, jasmonic acid, and gibberellin, were observed alongside this process. We also identified a number of candidate genes that may be involved in hormone regulation and flower development. These findings provide a useful foundation for further research and may support future breeding efforts to improve chestnut yield.
Abstract
The number of pistils determines the yield of Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima Bl.). However, the candidate pathways associated with formation of multi-pistil female flower clusters (MFF) remain largely unclear. This study integrated morphological, anatomical, transcriptomic, and targeted phytohormone metabolomic approaches to compare MFF and normal female flower clusters (NFF). The results showed that MFF exhibited longer basal bracts with fewer basal trichomes. The critical stage for multi-pistil phenotype formation occurred during pistil primordium differentiation, when additional floral meristems continuously expanded and differentiated into new flower primordia. Auxin (IAA), cytokinin (CTK), jasmonic acid (JA), and gibberellin (GA) were identified as potentially associated with this. Candidate genes associated with hormone biosynthesis, signal transduction, and core transcription factors regulating floral organ development at this key developmental stage were also identified. The findings of this study provide insights into the potential regulatory mechanisms underlying the differentiation and development of MFF.
