Overexpression of HvVDE gene improved light protection in transgenic tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)

Hosta is commonly acknowledged as a popular and preferred plant for landscaping and gardening. The 'sunburn' caused by prolonged exposure to strong sunlight is reducing the ornamental values of Hosta plants. However, there is a scarcity of research focusing on the genetic components linked to light-induced harm in Hosta. Here, the violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) homolog from Hosta ventricosa was isolated and functionally identified through conducting HvVDE-overexpression tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) lines. The results showed that HvVDE encodes a putative protein comprising 481 amino acids with a molecular weight of 54.304 kDa. The phylogenetic analysis found that HvVDE exhibited close similarity to JcVDE. Besides, the expression patterns of HvVDE found that HvVDE was expressed differently across tissues, withexpression induced by high light intensities. And overexpression of HvVDE led to the restoration of non-photochemical quenching in tobacco, suggesting that HvVDE plays a role in dissipating excess light energy as thermal energy in H. ventricosa. These findings underscore the significance of HvVDE in mitigating photoinhibition and enhancing photoprotection mechanisms in H. ventricosa.