Integrated metabolomics and transcriptomics analysis comprehensively revealed the underlying metabolite mechanism difference between Male and Female Eucommia ulmoides Oliver

• Published in: BMC plant biology Vol. 25; no. 1; p. 573
• Main Authors: Wang, Pei-lu, You, Jin-ling, Hua, Qian-ming, Li, Hua-qiang, Shi, Qi, Li, Wen-long, Sheng, Yun-jie, Liu, Kao-hua, He, Bing-qian, Zhang, Qiao-yan, Qin, Lu-ping, Meng, Xiong-yu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London BioMed Central 02.05.2025; BioMed Central Ltd; BMC
• Subjects: Acids; Agriculture; alpha-linolenic acid; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biosynthesis; Chromatography; cortex; Dioecious plant; dioecy; economic valuation; Eucommia ulmoides; Eucommia ulmoides Oliver; Eucommiaceae - genetics; Eucommiaceae - metabolism; Females; Flavonoids; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes; Genetic aspects; Leaves; Life Sciences; Linolenic acid; Males; Mass spectrometry; Metabolism; Metabolites; Metabolome; Metabolomics; Methods; Pharmaceutical sciences; Physiological aspects; Plant Leaves - metabolism; Plant metabolites; Plant Sciences; RNA sequencing; Scientific imaging; Temperature; Traditional Chinese medicine; Transcriptome; Transcriptomics; Tree Biology; China; United States > US; Shanghai China; Metabolomics; Oliver; Transcriptomics; Dioecious plant; Eucommia ulmoides Oliver
• ISSN: 1471-2229; 1471-2229
• DOI: 10.1186/s12870-025-06575-x

Background Eucommia ulmoides Oliver is a dioecious plant with great economic value, but the underlying metabolite mechanism difference between male and female E. ulmoides remain poorly understood. Results In this study, we integrated a dual-platform metabolomics approach with transcriptomics to systematically analyze differences in metabolite and gene expression in the cortex and leaves of male and female E. ulmoides . As a result, 1,452 metabolites (603 volatile, 849 non-volatile) were characterized, and 156 and 129 differentially accumulated metabolites were identified in FEC vs. MEC and FEF vs. MEF, respectively. The expression of key genes (PLA2G4, DOXs, LOX2S, and CEQORH) involved in alpha-linolenic acid metabolism was significantly altered in MEC. Similarly, the expression of key genes (CHS, FLS, DFR, and ANR) involved in flavonoid biosynthesis was significantly altered in MEF. Conclusions Our findings shed light on the metabolite mechanism behind the metabolic differences between male and female E. ulmoides and contribute to the exploration of value utilization.