Journal Article

Metabolic alterations provide insights into Stylosanthes roots responding to phosphorus deficiency

Luo, Jiajia, Zhang, Huikai, Liu, Yunxi, Liu, Pandao, Luo, Lijuan, Wang, Jinpeng, Chen, Zhijian, Liu, Guodao

2020

Overview

Background Phosphorus (P) deficiency is one of the major constraints limiting plant growth, especially in acid soils. Stylosanthes (stylo) is a pioneer tropical legume with excellent adaptability to low P stress, but its underlying mechanisms remain largely unknown. Results In this study, the physiological, molecular and metabolic changes in stylo responding to phosphate (Pi) starvation were investigated. Under low P condition, the growth of stylo root was enhanced, which was attributed to the up-regulation of expansin genes participating in root growth. Metabolic profiling analysis showed that a total of 256 metabolites with differential accumulations were identified in stylo roots response to P deficiency, which mainly included flavonoids, sugars, nucleotides, amino acids, phenylpropanoids and phenylamides. P deficiency led to significant reduction in the accumulation of phosphorylated metabolites (e.g., P-containing sugars, nucleotides and cholines), suggesting that internal P utilization was enhanced in stylo roots subjected to low P stress. However, flavonoid metabolites, such as kaempferol, daidzein and their glycoside derivatives, were increased in P-deficient stylo roots. Furthermore, the qRT-PCR analysis showed that a set of genes involved in flavonoids synthesis were found to be up-regulated by Pi starvation in stylo roots. In addition, the abundances of phenolic acids and phenylamides were significantly increased in stylo roots during P deficiency. The increased accumulation of the metabolites in stylo roots, such as flavonoids, phenolic acids and phenylamides, might facilitate P solubilization and cooperate with beneficial microorganisms in rhizosphere, and thus contributing to P acquisition and utilization in stylo. Conclusions These results suggest that stylo plants cope with P deficiency by modulating root morphology, scavenging internal Pi from phosphorylated metabolites and increasing accumulation of flavonoids, phenolic acids and phenylamides. This study provides valuable insights into the complex responses and adaptive mechanisms of stylo roots to P deficiency.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Accumulation / acid soils / Acidic soils / Adaptability / Adaptation / Agriculture / Amino acids / beneficial microorganisms / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Corn / Criminal investigation / daidzein / Derivatives (Financial instruments) / Diseases and pests / Efficiency / Expansin / Fabaceae - genetics / Fabaceae - metabolism / Flavonoid / Flavonoids / Flowers & plants / Gene Expression / gene expression regulation / Genes / Genes, Plant / Genetic research / glycosides / Isoflavones / kaempferol / Legumes / Leguminous plants / Life Sciences / Metabolism / Metabolites / Metabolome / metabolomics / Microorganisms / Morphology / Nucleotides / Phenolic acids / Phenols / phenylpropanoids / Phosphates / Phosphorus / Phosphorus (Nutrient) / Phosphorus - deficiency / Phosphorus Compounds - metabolism / Physiological aspects / Physiology / Plant growth / Plant Roots - metabolism / Plant Sciences / Plant-abiotic interactions / Principal components analysis / Probiotics / Proteins / quantitative polymerase chain reaction / Research Article / reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction / Rhizosphere / Rice / root growth / Root morphology / Roots / Roots (Botany) / Scavenging / Signal transduction / Soil - chemistry / Soil acidity / Soils / Solubilization / Soybeans / starvation / Stylosanthes / Sugar / sugars / Tree Biology