JOURNAL OF NANJING FORESTRY UNIVERSITY ›› 2022, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (4): 59-67.doi: 10.12302/j.issn.1000-2006.202101032

Special Issue: 中国特有孑遗树种银杏雌雄株发育生理机制

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Comparisons of physiological metabolism of female and male Ginkgo biloba trees during the late flower bud differentiation and flowering

DI Jingjing(), YE Wei, WU Qinxia, FENG Kai, CAO Dong, LI Qiang, CHEN Ying()   

  1. Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Biology and the Environment,Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing 210037, China
  • Received:2021-01-25 Revised:2021-04-07 Online:2022-07-30 Published:2022-08-01
  • Contact: CHEN Ying E-mail:1403281220@qq.com;chynjfu@163.com

Abstract:

【Objective】 The study aimed to investigate the dynamic changes in hormones and physiological metabolism indicators such as carbohydrates and flavonoids to provide a reference for the directional cultivation, pollination and gender identification of male and female Ginkgo biloba trees. 【Method】 Short fruit buds and leaves were collected from ginkgo trees during three developmental phases, that is, late flower bud differentiation (November 25 of previous year to March 16 of next year), flowering (March 17 to April 7), and after flowering (April 8 to April 28) to analyze the changes in the levels of hormones, carbohydrates, soluble proteins, total flavonoids, lactones, and peroxidase (POD) as well as phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) enzyme activities in female and male ginkgo trees. 【Result】 During the late flower bud differentiation stage, male trees had higher soluble sugar and protein contents and PAL activity than female trees, whereas during the flowering period, female trees had comparatively higher concentrations of soluble sugar, starch, soluble protein and PAL activity. However, gibberellin (GA) and zeatin (ZT) levels were significantly higher in the male trees during the flowering period. The considerably higher POD activity was observed in the female and male trees during the late flower bud differentiation period than during the other two periods, while the higher levels of ZT, GA, flavonoids and terpene lactones were observed during the flowering period. 【Conclusion】 Male and female ginkgo trees exhibited unsynchronized physiological metabolisms at the flowering time, and the peaks of soluble sugar, soluble protein, flavonoid and terpenoid lactone levels in male trees were observed approximately two weeks earlier than those in the female trees. High levels of GA, ZT, flavonoids and terpene lactones may be necessary for flowering and ovule development in male and female ginkgo trees, respectively.

Key words: Ginkgo biloba, male and female trees, late flower bud differentiation, flowering, physiological metabolism

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