TY - JOUR AU - CAO, Jin-Li AU - SHAO, Ya-Dong AU - ZOU, Ying-Ning AU - WU, Qiang-Sheng AU - YANG, Tian-Yuan AU - KUČA, Kamil PY - 2021/01/21 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Inoculation with Clariodeoglomus etunicatum improves leaf food quality of tea exposed to P stress JF - Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca JA - Not Bot Horti Agrobo VL - 49 IS - 1 SE - Research Articles DO - 10.15835/nbha49112166 UR - https://www.notulaebotanicae.ro/index.php/nbha/article/view/12166 SP - 12166 AB - <p style="text-align: justify;">The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of an arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), <em>Clariodeoglomus etunicatum, </em>on leaf food quality and relevant gene expression levels of tea (<em>Camellia sinensis</em> cv. ‘Fuding Dabaicha’) seedlings exposed to 0.5 μM P (P<sub>0.5</sub>) and 50 μM P (P<sub>50</sub>) levels. Twenty-four weeks later, the seedlings recorded higher root mycorrhizal fungal colonization in P<sub>50</sub> than in P<sub>0.5</sub>. AMF-inoculated tea plants represented significantly higher leaf fructose and glucose contents and lower sucrose content than non-inoculated plants, irrespective of substate P levels. AMF treatment also increased total amino acids content in P<sub>0.5</sub> and P<sub>50</sub>, accompanied with higher expression of<em> glutamate dehydrogenase </em>(<em>CsGDH</em>) and lower expression of <em>glutamine synthetase </em>(<em>CsGS</em>) and <em>glutamine oxoglutarate aminotransferase</em> (<em>CsGOGAT</em>). The total flavonoid content was higher in mycorrhizal versus non-mycorrhizal plants under P<sub>0.5</sub> and P<sub>50</sub>, together with induced expression of <em>phenylalanine ammonia-lyase</em> (<em>CsPAL</em>) and <em>cinnamic acid 4-hydroxylase </em>(<em>CsC4H</em>). Mycorrhizal fungal inoculation improved catechins content, which is due to the up-regulated expression of <em>flavanone</em> <em>3-hydroxylase</em> (<em>CsF3H</em>),<em> flavonoid 3'-hydroxylase </em>(<em>CsF3'H</em>), <em>dihydroflavonol</em> <em>4-reductase</em> (<em>CsDFR</em>), <em>leucoanthocyanidin reductase</em> (<em>CsLAR</em>), <em>anthocyanidin reductase</em> (<em>CsANR</em>), and <em>chalcone</em> <em>isomerase</em> (<em>CsCHI</em>) under P<sub>0.5</sub>. However, under P<sub>50</sub>, the gene involved in catechins synthesis was not affected or down-regulated by mycorrhization, implying a complex mechanism (e.g. nutrient improvement). AMF also inhibited the <em>tea caffeine synthase 1</em> (<em>CsTCS1</em>) expression regardless of P levels. Therefore, the results of this study concluded that inoculation with <em>C</em>. <em>etunicatum</em> improves leaf food quality of tea exposed to P stress, but the improved mechanisms were different between P<sub>0.5</sub> and P<sub>50</sub>.</p> ER -