Growth conditions trigger genotype-specific metabolic responses that affect the nutritional quality of kale cultivars - UTU Research Portal

A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal

Growth conditions trigger genotype-specific metabolic responses that affect the nutritional quality of kale cultivars

Authors: Ishihara, Hirofumi; Alegre, Sara, Pascual, Jesús; Trotta, Andrea; Yang, Wei; Yang, Baoru; Seyednasrollah, Fatemeh; Burow, Meike; Kangasjärvi, Saijaliisa

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Publication year: 2025

Journal: Journal of Experimental Botany

Journal name in source: Journal of experimental botany

Journal acronym: J Exp Bot

Volume: 76

Issue: 5

First page : 1427

Last page: 1445

ISSN: 0022-0957

eISSN: 1460-2431

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erae169

Web address : https://doi.org/10.1093/jxb/erae169

Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/387744679

Abstract

Kales (Brassica oleracea convar acephala) are fast-growing, nutritious leafy vegetables ideal for year-round indoor farming. However, selection of best cultivars for growth under artificial lighting necessitates a deeper understanding of leaf metabolism in different kale types. Here we examined a curly leaved cultivar Half Tall and a lacinato type cultivar Black Magic under moderate growth light (130 µmol photons m-1s-1/22°C) and high light (800 µmol photons m-1s-1/26°C) conditions. These conditions induced genotype-dependent differences in nutritionally important metabolites, especially anthocyanins and glucosinolates (GSLs), in the kale cultivars. In the pale green Half Tall, growth under high light conditions did not induce changes in either pigmentation or total GSL content. In contrast, the purple pigmentation of Black Magic intensified due to increased anthocyanin accumulation. Black Magic showed reduced amounts of indole GSLs and increased amounts of aliphatic GSLs under high light conditions, with notable cultivar-specific adjustments in individual GSL species. Correlation analysis of metabolite profiles suggested cultivar-specific metabolic interplay between serine biosynthesis and the production of indole GSLs. RNA sequencing identified candidate genes encoding metabolic enzymes and regulatory components behind anthocyanin and GSL biosynthesis. These findings improve the understanding of leaf metabolism and its effects on the nutritional quality of kale cultivars.

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Funding information in the publication:
This work was supported by Novo Nordisk Plant Science, Agriculture and Food Biotechnology—Project Grants 2020 (NNF20OC0065026), Academy of Finland (307719, 343527, 325122, 303757, 307335, 318894), University of Turku Doctoral Programme in Molecular Life Sciences, the Danish National Research Foundation, DNRF (grant 99) and the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation Juan de la Cierva Incorporación Programme (IJC-2019-040330-I).