Data_Sheet_1_Decoding the formation of diverse petal colors of Lagerstroemia indica by integrating the data from transcriptome and metabolome.docx

Lagerstroemia indica has great economic value due to its ecological, medicinal, and ornamental properties. Because its bloom color is one of the most essential characteristics, research into its color development is a hot topic. In this study, five representative colored cultivars were chosen, each representing a different color, such as white, red, pink, violet, and purple. Fully bloomed flowers were used to detect flavonoids in the petals. Anthocyanin is the main factor for the color formation of L. indica. 14 anthocyanins were discovered among the 299 flavonoids. Among 14 anthocyanins, malvidin-3,5-di-O-glucoside varied greatly among four colored samples and is the main contributor to color diversity. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that compared to white flowers, Anthocyanin pathway genes appear to be more active in colored samples. Analyzing the correlation network between metabolites and differential expressed genes, 53 key structural genes, and 24 TFs were detected that may play an essential role in the formation of color in L. indica flowers. Among these, the differential expression of F3′5′H and F3′H between all samples are contributors to color diversity. These findings lay the foundation for discovering the molecular mechanism of L. indica flower color diversity.

紫薇（Lagerstroemia indica）因其生态、药用与观赏价值，具备极高的经济价值。花色作为其核心观赏性状之一，相关形成机制研究始终是领域热点。本研究选取了5个具有代表性的花色栽培品种，分别对应白色、红色、粉色、淡紫色与紫色五种花色。以盛花期花瓣为实验材料，研究人员对花瓣中的类黄酮（flavonoids）成分开展了检测。研究证实，花青素（Anthocyanin）是紫薇花色形成的核心物质：在299种类黄酮中共鉴定出14种花青素。其中，锦葵素-3,5-二-O-葡萄糖苷（malvidin-3,5-di-O-glucoside）在四类花色样本中表达差异显著，是导致花色多样性的主要贡献因子。转录组（Transcriptome）测序结果显示，相较于白色花样本，花青素合成通路相关基因在有色花样本中的表达活性显著更高。通过构建代谢物与差异表达基因的共表达关联网络，本研究筛选出53个关键结构基因与24个转录因子（Transcription Factors, TFs），它们可能在紫薇花色形成过程中发挥关键调控作用。其中，F3′5′H与F3′H基因在所有样本间的差异表达是花色多样性形成的重要诱因。本研究结果为解析紫薇花色多样性的分子调控机制奠定了坚实基础。