Coppicing Switches On Isoflavonoid Genes in Three-Flowered Maple Regeneration

Coppicing, the traditional practice of cutting a tree back to its stump to trigger vigorous resprouting, has long been used in forestry, but the molecular machinery behind this burst of regeneration has remained poorly understood. A new multi-omics study of three-flowered maple (Acer triflorum Kom.), an ecologically and ornamentally valuable tree species, now links the practice to a specific metabolic pathway, offering what the authors describe as a scientific basis for optimizing rejuvenation and vegetative propagation techniques.

Using integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analysis, the researchers examined the molecular mechanisms underlying coppicing-enhanced regeneration in the species. Their results show that coppicing in the current year significantly activated the isoflavonoid biosynthesis pathway (Ko00943). This activation was characterized by the upregulation of key genes, including 4′-methoxyisoflavone 2′-hydroxylase, alongside the accumulation of major isoflavonoid metabolites such as genistin and daidzein.

Notably, the activation of the pathway followed a distinct gradient response that was closely correlated with multiple regenerative phenotypic traits, including shoot elongation. On this basis, the study proposes a regulatory cascade running from coppicing through gene expression and metabolite accumulation to phenotypic output, in which isoflavonoid metabolism coordinates defense responses and regenerative growth to drive plant rejuvenation after mechanical wounding.

The authors present these findings as novel theoretical insights into the molecular mechanisms of post-coppicing regeneration in woody plants, with implications for sustainable forestry and germplasm conservation in A. triflorum and other woody ornamental species. As the study is based on multi-omics profiling of this single species, the reported associations between pathway activation and regenerative traits will require further testing across other species and conditions before broader generalization.

Subject of Research: Molecular mechanisms of coppicing-promoted regeneration and isoflavonoid metabolism in Acer triflorum Kom.

Article Title: Integrative transcriptome and metabolome analysis of coppicing-promoted regeneration and isoflavonoid metabolism in Acer triflorum Kom.

Article References: Qi, Y., Li, H., Li, Z., Bai, H., Li, J., Wang, Y., & Li, C. (2026). Integrative transcriptome and metabolome analysis of coppicing-promoted regeneration and isoflavonoid metabolism in Acer triflorum Kom.. BMC Plant Biology. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-026-10038-2

Image Credits: AI Generated

DOI: 10.1186/s12870-026-10038-2

Keywords: coppicing, Acer triflorum, three-flowered maple, isoflavonoid biosynthesis, transcriptomics, metabolomics, plant regeneration, shoot elongation, genistin, daidzein, woody plants, forestry