ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Plant Sci.

Sec. Plant Physiology

Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1599758

Molecular insights into floral scent biosynthesis in Rosa laevigata through transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses

Provisionally accepted
Jian RuJian Ru1,2Wenbin JuWenbin Ju1,3Liangying LiLiangying Li1Hengning DengHengning Deng1,3Zhenlong LiangZhenlong Liang1,3Zhongyu TangZhongyu Tang1,3Jia MiaoJia Miao4Cheng ZhangCheng Zhang1Xinfen GaoXinfen Gao1,3*
  • 1Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Chengdu, China
  • 2Key Laboratory for Regional Plants Conservation and Ecological Restoration of Northeast Jiangxi, College of Life Science, Shangrao Normal University, Shangrao, Jiangxi Province, China
  • 3University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, Beijing, China
  • 4Yunnan Institute of Tropical Crops, Xishuangbanna, China

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Rosa laevigata Michx., a member of the genus Rosa in Rosaceae, has large, pure white flowers with a pleasant floral scent, making it a valuable ornamental and aromatic plant. However, the composition and dynamic changes in the abundance of its volatile organic compounds (VOCs) at different developmental stages, as well as the molecular mechanisms regulating floral scent biosynthesis, remain unclear. In this study, we conducted metabolomic and transcriptomic analyses to investigate the composition and abundance changes of VOCs in R. laevigata flowers at three developmental stages. Additionally, we identified key structural genes involved in the floral scent biosynthesis pathways. The results showed that a total of 330 VOCs were identified during the three developmental stages, of which 192 were differential volatile organic compounds (DVOCs), mainly benzenoids/phenylpropanoids and esters. Transcriptomic analysis further identified 8,585 differentially expressed genes, of which 67 were key structural genes related to floral scent biosynthesis. The regulatory network of transcription factors and structural genes revealed that 20 transcription factors were highly associated with floral scent biosynthesis. These findings provide a theoretical basis for the molecular breeding of fragrant germplasm in R. laevigata and contribute to the development of its aromatic industry.

Keywords: Rosa laevigata Michx., Floral scent, Metabolome, Transcriptome, Transcription Factors

Received: 25 Mar 2025; Accepted: 05 Jun 2025.

Copyright: © 2025 Ru, Ju, Li, Deng, Liang, Tang, Miao, Zhang and Gao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

* Correspondence: Xinfen Gao, Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Chengdu, China

Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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