Carotenoids, a diverse group of pigments, participate in various biological processes in plants and contribute to an important
quality trait for many plants. Celery is an important leafy vegetable crop, and the leaf is the main edible organ. However, the
molecular mechanism of carotenoid biosynthetic pathway in celery has yet to be characterized. Here, two celery varieties with
obviously different appearances, ‘Liuhe yellow heart celery’ and ‘Ventura’, were selected to study the carotenoid accumulation
and distinct transcript profiling of structural genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis. The contents of lutein, β-carotene, and αcarotene of leaf blades and petioles of celery were determined by UPLC... More
Carotenoids, a diverse group of pigments, participate in various biological processes in plants and contribute to an important
quality trait for many plants. Celery is an important leafy vegetable crop, and the leaf is the main edible organ. However, the
molecular mechanism of carotenoid biosynthetic pathway in celery has yet to be characterized. Here, two celery varieties with
obviously different appearances, ‘Liuhe yellow heart celery’ and ‘Ventura’, were selected to study the carotenoid accumulation
and distinct transcript profiling of structural genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis. The contents of lutein, β-carotene, and αcarotene of leaf blades and petioles of celery were determined by UPLC at 30, 45, and 60 days after germination (DAG). In the
two celery varieties, the highest lutein content was 14.56 mg/g DW (dry weight) in leaf blades of ‘Ventura’ at 45 DAG. The
lowest lutein content was 1.56 mg/g DW in petioles of ‘Liuhe yellow heart celery’ at 60 DAG. The highest β-carotene content
was 0.42 mg/g DW in leaf blades of ‘Ventura’ at 45 DAG. The lowest β-carotene content was 0.07 mg/g DW in petioles of ‘Liuhe
yellow heart celery’ at 45 DAG. Lutein and β-carotene contents in leaf blades were higher than that in petioles. The contents of
lutein and β-carotene in ‘Ventura’ were higher than that in ‘Liuhe yellow heart celery’. The relative expression levels of structural
genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis were also detected. The contents of lutein and β-carotene were correlated with the
transcription level of genes involved in carotenoid biosynthesis. The relative expression of AgPSY1 and AgLCYE in ‘Ventura’
was significantly higher than that in ‘Liuhe yellow heart celery’ at three growth stages. The content of α-carotene could not
detected in leaves of the two celery cultivars. These results provide potential insights into carotenoid biosynthetic pathway in
celery during growth and development.
