Effects of light intensity on the biosynthesis of glucosinolate in Chinese cabbage plantlets

Glucosinolates variations in six cultivars of Chinese cabbage plantlets under different light intensities (50, 100, 200, 400, and 600 mu mol center dot m - 2 center dot s -1) were analyzed. Nineteen glucosinolates were identified and quantified using UHPLC-QTOF-MS. Different light intensities affected the levels of glucosinolates in Chinese cabbage plantlets. Chinese cabbage plantlets had the highest synthesis capacity of the beneficial glucosinolate glucoraphanin at 200 mu mol center dot m - 2 center dot s -1 light intensity while for the anti-nutritional glucosinolate progoitrin at 50 mu mol center dot m - 2 center dot s -1 light intensity. BCAT4 was the key gene for the biosynthesis of the aliphatic glucosinolates glucobrassicanapin, glucoerucin, glucoberteroin, and glucoalyssin, whereas the upregulation of SUR1 was attributed to indolic glucosinolate biosynthesis. Chinese cabbage plantlets showed a similar distribution of glucosinolates under 400 mu mol center dot m -2 center dot s -1 with that of 600 mu mol center dot m - 2 center dot s - 1based on the principal component analysis. Our results indicated that the effects of light intensity on the glucosinolate formations in Chinese cabbage plantlets, which provides new insights.