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Regulation of seed oil accumulation by the PfMYB128 transcription factor in Perilla frutescens

Wang Wen-Jing,Feng Xiao-Yan,Wang Xiao-Lan,Zhu Bo,Hu Jian,Lu Jun-Xing,Zhang Tao*   

  1. College of Life Sciences, Chongqing Normal University / Chongqing Key Laboratory of Plant Environmental Adaptation Biology, Chongqing 401331, China
  • Received:2026-04-22 Revised:2026-08-21 Accepted:2026-08-21 Published:2026-08-26
  • Supported by:
    This study was supported by the Innovation and Development Joint Fund of Chongqing Natural Science Foundation (CSTB2024NSCQ-LZX0002) and the Science and Technology Research Program of Chongqing Municipal Education Commission (KJZD-K202200508).

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Abstract: Perilla frutescens, as a medicinal and edible plant, accumulates α-linolenic acid at levels as high as 54%–65% in its seed oil, representing an important source of functional lipids. The MYB family is one of the largest transcription factor families in plants and is widely involved in secondary metabolism, stress responses, and organ development. This study aimed to perform a genomewide identification and characterization of the MYB gene family in Perilla frutescens and to investigate the functional role of PfMYB128 in regulating seed oil biosynthesis. Based on the perilla genome data, bioinformatic approaches were employed to identify members of the MYB gene family. Physicochemical property analyses, subcellular localization predictions, and phylogenetic analyses were conducted for PfMYBs, and tissuespecific expression patterns were examined using transcriptome data. The expression profile of PfMYB128 was analyzed by RTqPCR, its subcellular localization was determined via transient transformation of tobacco leaves, and its biological function was validated through heterologous expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. The underlying transcriptional regulatory mechanism was explored using a yeast onehybrid assay. This study identified 287 members of the MYB gene family (PfMYBs) within the Perilla genome, and phylogenetic analysis classified them into three subfamilies, comprising 186 R2R3-MYB, 93 1R-MYB, and 8 3R-MYB members. Chromosomal distribution analysis revealed a non-uniform distribution of PfMYBs across 20 chromosomes, sequentially named PfMYB1 through PfMYB287 according to their positional order. Physicochemical property analysis indicated that PfMYB proteins range from 78 to 1072 amino acids, with molecular weights spanning 8.92–119.66 kD and isoelectric points between 4.62 and 10.06; the majority are predicted to be unstable, hydrophilic, nuclear-localized proteins. RT-qPCR analysis demonstrated that PfMYB128 is significantly upregulated during seed development stages. Subcellular localization studies confirmed that the PfMYB128 protein localizes to the nucleus. Overexpression of PfMYB128 in Arabidopsis thaliana transgenic lines resulted in a 3.96%–5.45% increase in thousand-seed weight, a 7.72%–13.48% rise in oil content, and a significant shift in fatty acid composition, with unsaturated fatty acids (C18:2, C20:1, C20:2, C22:1) increasing markedly, while saturated fatty acids (C16:0, C18:0, C20:0) decreased. Integrated promoter analysis of candidate lipid synthesis genes, correlation analyses between transcription factors and target genes, RT-qPCR results from overexpression lines, and yeast one-hybrid assays confirmed that PfMYB128 can bind to the promoters of PfFAD2 and PfKCS1, thereby regulating oil accumulation and composition. This study provided a valuable gene resource for the genetic improvement of oil quality in Perilla frutescens.

Key words: Perilla frutescens, MYB transcription factor family, expression analysis, lipid accumulation, yeast one-hybrid

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