Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40515435›Full record

ArticleJournal of the science of food and agriculture2025

Investigating the bHLH transcription factor TSARL1 as marker and regulator of saponin biosynthesis in Chenopodium quinoa.

Marius Kollmar, Katharina B Böndel, Lukas John, Stefan Arold, Karl Schmid, David Jarvis, Sandra M Schmöckel, Sophie L Otterbach

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Article in Journal of the science of food and agriculture, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

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2citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Marius KollmarInstitute of Crop Science, Physiology of Yield Stability, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
Katharina B BöndelInstitute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
Lukas JohnInstitute of Crop Science, Physiology of Yield Stability, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
Stefan AroldKAUST Center of Excellence for Smart Health, Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Karl SchmidInstitute of Plant Breeding, Seed Science and Population Genetics, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.
David JarvisBrigham Young University, Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, College of Life Sciences, Provo, UT, USA.
Sandra M SchmöckelInstitute of Crop Science, Physiology of Yield Stability, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5974-5136
Sophie L OtterbachInstitute of Crop Science, Physiology of Yield Stability, University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, Germany.

Funding

Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung 02WPM1655Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) 495517445KAUST Center of Excellence for Smart Health 5932King Abdullah University of Science and TechnologyPRIMA initiative Quinoa4Med
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundQuinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) is valued for its nutritional benefits and resilience to abiotic stresses. However, its commercial use is limited by bitter-tasting saponins on the seeds, necessitating resource-intensive removal processes.

resultsThis study demonstrates a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), G2078C, in the Triterpene Saponin Biosynthesis Activating Regulator Like 1 (TSARL1) gene, which encodes a basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, as significantly associated with the non-bitter phenotype in quinoa. We have developed a PCR assay to demonstrate the pivotal role of this SNP in distinguishing non-bitter from bitter quinoa varieties, thereby providing a practical tool for breeding and quality control. Our findings confirm the SNP's critical function in downregulating the saponin biosynthesis pathway, through quantitative PCR analyses of TSARL1, TSARL2, BAS1, CYP716A78 and CYP716A79. Furthermore, protein modelling of TSARL1 validates its responsibility for the bitter phenotype. Investigating early plant development revealed delayed seedling emergence of bitter quinoa and phylogenetic analysis confirmed the bitter allele as the ancestral trait of quinoa.

conclusionDemonstrating a strong correlation between the non-bitter phenotype and the G2078C SNP, our study not only validates the SNP's significance but also introduces an efficient method for its detection. This advancement promises to streamline the breeding of non-bitter quinoa varieties, enhancing the crop's palatability and reducing the need for postharvest processing. Our approach offers significant implications for the agricultural production and nutritional exploitation of quinoa, aligning with efforts to meet global food security and nutritional needs. © 2025 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.

Indexed as

Basic Helix-Loop-Helix ProteinsChenopodium quinoaPlant ProteinsSaponinsGene Expression Regulation, PlantPhenotypePhylogenyPolymorphism, Single NucleotideSeedsBasic Helix-Loop-Helix ProteinsPlant ProteinsSaponinsbreeding markerChenopodium quinoamevalonate pathwayqPCRtriterpenoid saponinsTSARL1

Identifiers

PMID40515435
PMCPMC12439090

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.