Journal Article

Integrated analysis of transcriptomics and metabolomics of garden asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) under drought stress

Liang, Yuqin, Han, Changzhi, Wang, Yubo, Cao, Yanpo, Zhang, Xuhong, Liu, Tao

2024

Overview

Background Drought is a leading environmental factor affecting plant growth. To explore the drought tolerance mechanism of asparagus, this study analyzed the responses of two asparagus varieties, namely, ‘Jilv3’ (drought tolerant) and ‘Pacific Early’ (drought sensitive), to drought stress using metabolomics and transcriptomics. Results In total, 2,567 and 7,187 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in ‘Pacific Early’ and ‘Jilv3’, respectively, by comparing the transcriptome expression patterns between the normal watering treatment and the drought stress treatment. These DEGs were significantly enriched in the amino acid biosynthesis, carbon metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and plant hormone signal transduction pathways. In ‘Jilv3’, DEGs were also enriched in the following energy metabolism-related pathways: citrate cycle (TCA cycle), glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, and pyruvate metabolism. This study also identified 112 and 254 differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs) in ‘Pacific Early’ and ‘Jilv3’ under drought stress compared with normal watering, respectively. The amino acid, flavonoid, organic acid, and soluble sugar contents were more significantly enhanced in ‘Jilv3’ than in ‘Pacific Early’. According to the metabolome and transcriptome analysis, in ‘Jilv3’, the energy supply of the TCA cycle was improved, and flavonoid biosynthesis increased. As a result, its adaptability to drought stress improved. Conclusions These findings help to better reveal the molecular mechanism underlying how asparagus responds to drought stress and improve researchers’ ability to screen drought-tolerant asparagus varieties as well as breed new varieties.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Abiotic stress tolerance in plants / Adaptability / Agricultural production / Agricultural research / Agriculture / Amino acids / Analysis / Asparagus / Asparagus officinalis / Asparagus Plant - genetics / Asparagus Plant - metabolism / Asparagus Plant - physiology / Bioflavonoids / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Biosynthesis / carbon metabolism / Cellular signal transduction / China / Drought / Drought resistance / Drought stress / drought tolerance / Droughts / energy / Energy metabolism / Environmental aspects / Environmental factors / Flavones / Flavonoids / gardens / Gene Expression Profiling / gene expression regulation / Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Genes / Genetic aspects / Gluconeogenesis / Glycolysis / Life Sciences / Metabolic pathways / Metabolism / Metabolites / Metabolome / Metabolomics / Molecular modelling / Organic acids / Physiological aspects / Physiology / Plant growth / Plant hormones / Plant metabolites / Plant Sciences / Proteins / Purification / Pyruvic acid / Signal transduction / Stress (Physiology) / Stress, Physiological - genetics / Sugar / sugars / Transcriptome / Transcriptomes / Transcriptomics / Tree Biology / Tricarboxylic acid cycle / Variance analysis / Vegetables / Water / water stress