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Volume 11
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10.3390/horticulturae11080948
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Transcriptomics Integrated with Metabolomics Reveals the Accumulation Mechanism of Flavones in Jinsi Huangju

by
Yanan Liu
1,
Xinnan Huang
1,
Xinran Chong
2,
Shasha Huang
1,
Changshuai Yu
1,
Hongbin Yu
1,
Yan Wu
1,
Sheng Zeng
1,
Hua Cheng
3,* and
Guizhen Chen
1,*
1
College of Pharmacy and Life Science, Jiujiang University, Jiujiang 332005, China
2
Jiangsu Key Laboratory for the Research and Utilization of Plant Resources, Institute of Botany, Jiangsu Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing Botanical Garden Mem, Nanjing 210018, China
3
Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Conservation Biology, Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Subtropical Forest Resources Cultivation, College of Forestry/College of Art and Landscape, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang 330045, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Horticulturae 2025, 11(8), 948; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11080948
Submission received: 16 July 2025 / Revised: 5 August 2025 / Accepted: 7 August 2025 / Published: 11 August 2025
(This article belongs to the Topic Genetic Breeding and Biotechnology of Garden Plants)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat. is an important ornamental plant, holding dual economic value as a medicinal and edible plant. Jinsi Huangju is a popular healthy tea drink prepared from the large and elegant shaped flowers of C. morifolium. However, the suboptimal accumulation of bioactive flavonoids during conventional harvest (full bloom stage) limits its commercial potential. To elucidate the molecular mechanisms governing flavonoid biosynthesis in Jinsi Huangju flowers and identify key genetic regulators for metabolic engineering, we performed integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses of flowers at distinct developmental stages using ultra-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) and RNA-seq. Differential metabolites were screened, and candidate genes were validated via transient transformation assays. Among 2146 identified metabolites, flavonoids were the predominant differential compounds, with accumulation patterns being strongly stage dependent. Thirty-eight flavonoid biosynthetic genes and key transcription factors from the MYB, bHLH, and WD40 families exhibited dynamic expression. The CmMYB8a was confirmed as a positive regulator of flavonoid biosynthesis through transient overexpression. This study deciphers the stage-specific flavonoid accumulation in Jinsi Huangju and identifies CmMYB8a as a pivotal regulatory target. Our findings provide genetic resources for breeding high-flavonoid cultivars via molecular design.
Keywords: Jinsi Huangju; flavonoids; CmMYB8a; metabolome; transcriptome Jinsi Huangju; flavonoids; CmMYB8a; metabolome; transcriptome

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Liu, Y.; Huang, X.; Chong, X.; Huang, S.; Yu, C.; Yu, H.; Wu, Y.; Zeng, S.; Cheng, H.; Chen, G. Transcriptomics Integrated with Metabolomics Reveals the Accumulation Mechanism of Flavones in Jinsi Huangju. Horticulturae 2025, 11, 948. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11080948

AMA Style

Liu Y, Huang X, Chong X, Huang S, Yu C, Yu H, Wu Y, Zeng S, Cheng H, Chen G. Transcriptomics Integrated with Metabolomics Reveals the Accumulation Mechanism of Flavones in Jinsi Huangju. Horticulturae. 2025; 11(8):948. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11080948

Chicago/Turabian Style

Liu, Yanan, Xinnan Huang, Xinran Chong, Shasha Huang, Changshuai Yu, Hongbin Yu, Yan Wu, Sheng Zeng, Hua Cheng, and Guizhen Chen. 2025. "Transcriptomics Integrated with Metabolomics Reveals the Accumulation Mechanism of Flavones in Jinsi Huangju" Horticulturae 11, no. 8: 948. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11080948

APA Style

Liu, Y., Huang, X., Chong, X., Huang, S., Yu, C., Yu, H., Wu, Y., Zeng, S., Cheng, H., & Chen, G. (2025). Transcriptomics Integrated with Metabolomics Reveals the Accumulation Mechanism of Flavones in Jinsi Huangju. Horticulturae, 11(8), 948. https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11080948

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