Progress on the Chemical Basis, Metabolic Regulation Mechanism and Key Genes of the Floral Components of Prunus Mume

The formation of the unique floral fragrance of Prunus mume, a famous traditional Chinese flower, involves the synergistic effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as terpenoids, phenylpropanoids and fatty acid derivatives. This paper systematically reviews and synthesizes the latest research progress on the chemical basis of the aroma components of Prunus mume and its metabolic regulation mechanism. In terms of molecular activity, the aroma profile of Prunus mume is jointly determined by the terpenoids synthesized by the methylerythritol 4-phosphate (MEP) and mevalonic acid (MVA) pathways, as well as key components such as phenylethanol and benzyl acetate produced by the phenylpropanoid pathway. Through metabolomics and transcriptomics techniques, existing studies have identified a regulatory network consisting of key enzyme genes such as TPS, PAL, AAT and transcription factors such as PmMYB1 and PmWRKY. It was revealed that jasmonic acid signaling promoted monoterpene synthesis by activating PmDXS gene expression, while low temperature induced PmPAL activity to increase phenylethanol accumulation by 50%. Second, this paper analyzes the challenges in the research of the underlying mechanisms of Prunus mume aroma components, including the lack of in vivo metabolic imaging technology, unclear epigenetic modification mechanisms and other bottlenecks, and the future should focus on the precise editing of CRISPR-Cas12i-mediated metabolic pathways, and the construction of 3D visualization models of petal metabolic microregions, and other directions. Based on the existing research reviews, this paper provides a theoretical basis for the molecular breeding of Prunus mume, and the researchers believe that metabolic engineering is expected to cultivate new varieties of plum blossoms with long-lasting and stable aroma, which will enhance their ornamental value and industrialization potential.