Diverse expression of isoflavonoid-related genes based on transcriptomic datasets of Pueraria mirifica cultivars

Authors: Huynh Thi Thu Hue, Nguyen Thi Bich Ngoc, Hanh Hong Ha, Oanh Thi Kieu Pham, Canh Xuan Nguyen, Hoang Huy Nguyen
Journal: Journal of Animal and Plant Sciences (JAPS)
ISSN: 1018-7081 (Print), 2309-8694 (Online)
Volume: 36  Issue: 4  
Year: 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.36899/JAPS.2026.4.0100
URL: https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.36899/JAPS.2026.4.0100
Publisher: Pakistan Agricultural Scientists Forum

Abstract:
<p class="Keyword" style="margin-top: 12pt; line-height: normal; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">White Kwao Krua, also known as <em>Pueraria mirifica</em>, is a traditional medicinal plant in several Asian countries. This plant has a high content of essential phytoestrogens such as isoflavones and chromenes, particularly miroestrol. However, </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: windowtext;">their biosynthetic pathway remains unclear and is currently under investigation</span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">. Three gene families Chalcone isomerases (<em>CHI</em>s), Chalcone synthases (<em>CHSs</em>), and </span><span lang="TR" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: TR;">UDP-dependent glycosyltransferases</span><span lang="TR" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">(<em>UGTs</em>) play a key role in the phytoestrogen biosynthesis in <em>P. mirifica</em>. They are large gene families with myriad members, involved in several plant functions. In the research, five <em>P. mirifica</em> cultivars (</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: windowtext;">TLBYT, TLCNX, TLDB, NA, and SL)</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;"> <span lang="EN-GB">were cultivated under the same conditions and then their leaf, stem, and tuber tissues were collected. The transcriptomes of the cultivars were sequenced, assembled, and annotated in the research. </span></span><span lang="TR" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: TR;">By using RNA-seq, the t</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: windowtext;">ranscriptome assembly yielded over 300,000 unigenes, of which approximately 32,000 were annotated across four major databases:<em> </em>NCBI-Nr (229569 unigenes), SwissProt (158667 unigenes), COG (112089 unigenes), and KEGG (61480 unigenes). </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; color: windowtext; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB;">Seventeen individuals from these gene families that may catalyze or influence miroestrol and isoflavone biosynthesis were detected. The RT-qPCR analysis revealed tissue-specific gene expression, with several genes showing preferential expression in either leaves or tubers. <em>CHS11</em>, <em>CHS13</em>, and <em>UGT74</em> gene were predominantly expressed in leaves, whereas <em>CHI4A</em>, <em>CHI3A2</em>, and <em>CHS14</em> showed higher expression in tubers, the primary site of phytoestrogen accumulation. These results provide transcriptomic data for different <em>P. mirifica</em> varieties and demonstrate tissue-specific expression patterns of key <em>CHI</em>, <em>CHS</em>, and <em>UGT</em> genes involved in the isoflavonoid biosynthetic pathway.</span></p>

Keywords: Chalcone isomerase, Chalcone synthase, phytoestrogens, Pueraria mirifica, UDP-dependent glycosyltransferases.