Comparative analysis of transcriptome and metabolome uncovers the metabolic differences between Dendrobium officinale protocorms and mature stems

Abstract

Dendrobium officinale caulis is the dried mature stems (Mat) of D. officinale Kimura et Migo. D. officinale protocorms (DOPs) are the conical embryonic tissues formed after seed germination. Previous studies suggest that these different plant parts possess similar pharmacological activities. However, the metabolic profiles and gene expression across different growth stages of D. officinale remain unknown. In this study, metabolome analysis based on GC and LC/MS/MS was carried out to assess the metabolic profile of both DOPs and Mat. Transcriptome analysis was used to reveal internal relationships between metabolites and the differing gene regulation. The results indicated that although DOPs and Mat had a similar chemical composition, they exhibited different patterns of content. GO classification and KEGG clustering of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between DOPs and Mat demonstrated that gene enrichment was mainly related to flavonoid biosynthetic and metabolic processes, carbohydrate metabolic processes, and polysaccharide catabolic processes. An alteration in gene expression related to specific metabolic pathways offered a probable explanation for the observed differences in metabolites between DOPs and Mat. This work provides a foundation for subsequent studies regarding the biosynthetic pathways of related metabolites from D. officinalis.

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