Differential amino acids and their derivatives.

The composition and concentration of amino acids and their derivatives in Polygonatum are crucial factors that indicate its nutritional value and have a substantial impact on its potential for market development as a medicinal and edible plant. This study utilized comprehensive targeted metabolomics detection, transcriptome analysis, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) to assess the quality characteristics of amino acids and their derivatives. Additionally, it aimed to investigate the pivotal genes that influence the synthesis of these compounds. The analysis revealed that there was a total of 72 distinct amino acids and their derivatives present in both forms of Polygonatum. Furthermore, there were notable variations in the content of 37 of these amino acids. A total of 271 genes are responsible for encoding 37 enzymes that are involved in the production of amino acids and their derivatives. The WGCNA clustering analysis, along with the metabolic profile of amino acids and their derivatives and transcriptome analysis, categorized the transcripts into six modules. Among these modules, the active components of amino acids and their derivatives showed a positive correlation with the MEturquoise and MEblue modules. This correlation helped identify 10 key genes that are highly likely to influence the synthesis of amino acids and their derivatives. Therefore, we validated these results using qRT-PCR. The modulation of the expression patterns of these crucial genes can establish a theoretical foundation for the subsequent breeding of Polygonatum germplasm with abundant amino acid content and diversity.

黄精属（Polygonatum）植物中氨基酸及其衍生物的组成与含量，是体现其营养价值的核心指标，同时对其药食两用的市场开发潜力具有显著影响。本研究采用综合靶向代谢组学检测、转录组分析及加权基因共表达网络分析（WGCNA），对黄精属植物中氨基酸及其衍生物的品质特征进行评估，同时旨在解析调控此类物质合成的关键基因。分析结果显示，两种黄精属植物样品中共检出72种不同的氨基酸及其衍生物；其中37种物质的含量存在显著差异。共计271个基因编码参与氨基酸及其衍生物合成的37种酶类。结合WGCNA聚类分析、氨基酸及其衍生物代谢组特征与转录组分析，本研究将转录本划分为6个模块；其中，氨基酸及其衍生物的活性成分与MEturquoise模块及MEblue模块呈显著正相关。通过该相关性分析，最终筛选出10个极有可能调控氨基酸及其衍生物合成的关键基因，并采用实时荧光定量PCR（qRT-PCR）对上述结果进行了验证。调控此类关键基因的表达模式，可为后续培育氨基酸含量丰富、组成多样的黄精属种质资源提供理论依据。