Project: Amino acids accumulation in tea plants

？ Showed using nonaqueous fractionation and molecular methods to determined the different in vivo subcellular sites of L-theanine biosynthesis and hydrolysis in tea plants. This project has found that in tea root tissue, the cytosol was the main site of L-theanine biosynthesis, and cytosol-located CsTSI was the key L-theanine synthase. In tea shoot tissue, L-theanine biosynthesis occurred mainly in the cytosol and chloroplasts and CsGS1.1 and CsGS2 were most likely the key L-theanine synthases. In addition, L-theanine content and distribution were affected by light in leaf tissue.

Project: Pigments accumulation mechanism in banana

？ Showed using UPLC-Q-TOF/HPLC and molecular methods the banana pigments accumulation pattern. This project has identified the pigment distribution in banana fruit and revealed the lycopene cyclase enzyme function in banana fruit.

Project: Volatile compounds by plant in response to light and temperature

？ Showed using GC-MS and molecular methods that the production of plant volatile compounds responds to light and temperature. This project has found that light can significantly regulate the volatile content in tea leaf and strawberry fruit by activating the genes involved in the corresponding metabolic pathways.

1.     Fu, X.; Liao, Y.; Cheng, S.; Xu X.; Grierson, D.; Yang, Z.*, Nonaqueous fractionation and overexpression of fluorescent tagged enzymes reveals the subcellular sites of L-theanine biosynthesis in tea. Plant Biotechnology Journal 2021,19, 98-108.

2.      Fu, X.^#; Cheng, S.^#; Liao, Y.; Xu, X.; Wang, X.; Hao, X.; Xu, P.; Yang, Z.*, Characterization of L-theanine hydrolase in vitro and subcellular distribution of its specific product ethylamine in tea (Camellia sinensis). Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2020, 68, 10842-10851.

3.      Fu, X.^#; Cheng, S.^#; Feng, C.; Kang, M.; Huang, B.; Jiang, Y.; Duan, X.; Grierson, D.; Yang, Z.*, Lycopene cyclases determine high α-/β-carotene ratio and increased carotenoids in bananas ripening at high temperatures. Food Chemistry 2019, 283, 131-140.

4.      Fu, X.^#; Chen, S.^#; Liao, Y.^#; Huang, B.; Du, B.; Zeng, W.; Jiang, Y.; Duan, X.; Yang, Z.*, Comparative analysis of pigments in red and yellow banana fruit. Food Chemistry 2018, 239, 1009-1018.

5.      Fu, X.^#; Chen, S^#; Zhang, Y^#.; Du, B.; Feng, C.; Zhou, Y.; Mei, X.; Jiang, Y.; Duan, X.; Yang, Z.*, Differential responses of four biosynthetic pathways of aroma compounds in postharvest strawberry (Fragaria× ananassa Duch.) under interaction of light and temperature. Food Chemistry 2017, 221, 356-364.

6.      Fu, X.; Feng, C.; Wang, C.; Yin, X.; Lu, P.; Grierson, D.; Xu, C.*; Chen, K., Involvement of multiple phytoene synthase genes in tissue-and cultivar-specific accumulation of carotenoids in loquat. Journal of Experimental Botany 2014, 65, 4679-4689.

7.      Fu, X.^#; Zhou, Y.^#; Zeng, L.; Dong, F.; Mei, X.; Liao, Y.; Watanabe, N.; Yang, Z.*, Analytical method for metabolites involved in biosynthesis of plant volatile compounds. RSC Advances 2017, 7, 19363-19372.

8.      Fu, X.; Chen, Y.; Mei, X.; Katsuno, T.; Kobayashi, E.; Dong, F.; Watanabe, N.; Yang, Z.*, Regulation of formation of volatile compounds of tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves by single light wavelength. Scientific Reports 2015, 5.

9.      Luan, Y.^#; Fu, X.^#; Lu, P.; Grierson D.; Xu, C*, Molecular mechanisms determining the differential accumulation of carotenoids in plant species and varieties. Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences 2020, 39, 125-139.

10.   Cheng, S.^#; Fu, X.^#; Liao, Y.; Xu, X.; Zeng, L.; Tang, J.; Li, J.; Lai, J.; Yang, Z.*, Differential accumulation of specialized metabolite L-theanine in green and albino-induced yellow tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves. Food Chemistry 2019, 276, 93-100.

11.   Cheng, S.^#; Fu, X.^#; Wang, X.; Liao, Y.; Zeng, L.; Dong, F.; Yang, Z.*, Studies on the biochemical formation pathway of the amino acid L-theanine in tea (Camellia sinensis) and other plants. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2017, 65, 7210-7216.

12.   Chen, Y.^#; Fu, X.^#; Mei, X.; Zhou, Y.; Cheng, S.; Zeng, L.; Dong, F.; Yang, Z.*, Proteolysis of chloroplast proteins is responsible for accumulation of free amino acids in dark-treated tea (Camellia sinensis) leaves. Journal of Proteomics 2017, 157, 10-17.

13.    Zhang, Y.^#; Fu, X.^#; Wang, F.; Yang, Z.*, Spatial differences in (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol production preferentially reduces Spodoptera litura larva attack on the young leaves of Nicotiana benthamiana. Plant Science 2016, 252, 367-373.

14.   Dong, F.^#; Fu, X.^#; Watanabe, N.; Su, X.; Yang, Z.*, Recent advances in the emission and functions of plant vegetative volatiles. Molecules 2016, 21, 124.

15.   Cheng, S.^#; Fu, X.^#; Mei, X.; Zhou, Y.; Du, B.; Watanabe, N.; Yang, Z.*, Regulation of biosynthesis and emission of volatile phenylpropanoids/benzenoids in petunia× hybrida flowers by multi-factors of circadian clock, light, and temperature. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 2016, 107, 1-8.

16.   Chen, Y.^#; Fu, X.^#; Mei, X.; Zhou, Y. Du, B.; Tu, Y.; Yang, Z.*, Characterization of functional proteases from flowers of tea (Camellia sinensis) plants. Journal of Functional Foods 2016, 25, 149-159.

17. Gui, J.^#; Fu, X.^#; Zhou, Y. Katsuno, T.; Mei, X.; Deng, R.; Xu, X.; Zhang, L.; Dong, F.; Watanabe, N.; Yang, Z.*, Does enzymatic hydrolysis of glycosidically bound volatile compounds really contribute to the formation of volatile compounds during the oolong tea manufacturing process? Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 2015, 63, 6905-6914.