A Moss 2-Oxoglutarate/Fe(II)-Dependent Dioxygenases (2-ODD) Gene of Flavonoids Biosynthesis Positively Regulates Plants Abiotic Stress Tolerance

Huijuan Wang; Shenghao Liu; Fenghua Fan; Qian Yu; Pengying Zhang

doi:10.3389/fpls.2022.850062

A Moss 2-Oxoglutarate/Fe(II)-Dependent Dioxygenases (2-ODD) Gene of Flavonoids Biosynthesis Positively Regulates Plants Abiotic Stress Tolerance

Front Plant Sci. 2022 Jul 29:13:850062. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2022.850062. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Huijuan Wang¹, Shenghao Liu², Fenghua Fan¹, Qian Yu¹, Pengying Zhang^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ National Glycoengineering Research Center and School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.
² Key Laboratory of Marine Eco-Environmental Science and Technology, First Institute of Oceanography, Ministry of Natural Resources, Qingdao, China.
³ Shandong Key Laboratory of Carbohydrate Chemistry and Glycobiology, Shandong University, Qingdao, China.

Abstract

Flavonoids, the largest group of polyphenolic secondary metabolites present in all land plants, play essential roles in many biological processes and defense against abiotic stresses. In the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway, flavones synthase I (FNSI), flavanone 3-hydroxylase (F3H), flavonol synthase (FLS), and anthocyanidin synthase (ANS) all belong to 2-oxoglutarate/Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenases (2-ODDs) family, which catalyzes the critical oxidative reactions to form different flavonoid subgroups. Here, a novel 2-ODD gene was cloned from Antarctic moss Pohlia nutans (Pn2-ODD1) and its functions were investigated both in two model plants, Physcomitrella patens and Arabidopsis thaliana. Heterologous expression of Pn2-ODD1 increased the accumulation of anthocyanins and flavonol in Arabidopsis. Meanwhile, the transgenic P. patens and Arabidopsis with expressing Pn2-ODD1 exhibited enhanced tolerance to salinity and drought stresses, with larger gametophyte sizes, better seed germination, and longer root growth. Heterologous expression of Pn2-ODD1 in Arabidopsis also conferred the tolerance to UV-B radiation and oxidative stress by increasing antioxidant capacity. Therefore, we showed that Pn2-ODD1 participated in the accumulation of anthocyanins and flavonol in transgenic plants, and regulated the tolerance to abiotic stresses in plants, contributing to the adaptation of P. nutans to the polar environment.

Keywords: 2-oxoglutarate/Fe(II)-dependent dioxygenases (2-ODDs); Antarctic moss; abiotic stress; anthocyanin accumulation; flavonoids; flavonol.