Different adaptive patterns of wheat with different drought tolerance under drought stresses and rehydration revealed by integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis

Abstract

Wheat as a staple food crop is enduring ever-frequent intermittent and changing drought with the climate change. It is of great significance to highlight the adaptive approaches under such variable conditions at multiple levels to provide a comprehensive understanding of drought tolerance and facilitate the genetic breeding of wheat. Therefore, three wheat lines with different drought tolerance (drought-tolerant mutant Mu > common wheat CK > drought susceptible mutant mu) were analyzed under moderate and severe drought stresses as well as rehydration. Samples were subjected to transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling in combination with physiological and biochemical determination. The moderate drought stress rendered 198 and 115 differentially expressed metabolites (DEMs) in CK and Mu, respectively. The severe drought stress rendered 166, 151 and 137 DEMs in CK, Mu and mu, respectively. The rehydration rendered 150 and 127 DEMs in CK and Mu. 12,557 and 10,402 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified for CK and Mu under moderate drought stress, respectively. 9,893, 7,924, and 9,387 DEGs were identified for CK, Mu, and mu under severe drought stress, respectively. 13,874 and 14,839 were identified in CK and Mu under rehydration, respectively. Metabolomics results showed that amino acid was the most differentially expressed metabolites, followed by phenolic acids. Flavonoids played an important role in drought tolerance. Most enriched pathways under drought included biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, metabolic pathways and photosynthesis. Metabolites and genes involved in osmotic regulation, antioxidase activities, and ABA signaling were more enriched in Mu than in CK and mu. Various drought-responsive genes and metabolites in Mu showed different trends with those in CK and mu. Increased amino acids biosynthetic capability and ROS scavenging ability resulted from higher antioxidase activities and increased flavonoids may be the mechanisms underlying the drought tolerance characteristic of Mu. Recovery from reversible ROS damage and rapid amino acid biosynthesis may contribute to the rapid recovery of Mu. The present study provides new insights for mechanisms of wheat under complex drought conditions.

Transcriptomic and metabolomic profiling reveals the drought tolerance mechanism of Illicium difengpi (Schisandraceae)

“…This further supports the idea that I. difengpi , experiencing drought stress, induces stomatal closure to reduce transpiration and consequently decreases photosynthetic capacity. Similar findings have been reported in wheat ( Lv et al., 2022 ). When I. difengpi plants were watered again, a majority fraction of photosynthesis-related genes were upregulated, indicating gradual recovery of photosynthesis-related processes from drought stress after rehydration.…”

Transcriptomic and Metabolomic Analyses Reveal the Response to Short-Term Drought Stress in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

“…In this study, we selected a wheat variety Jimai 418, known for its drought characteristics and yield stability [47]. Field pot experiments were conducted at the experimental station of Hebei Agricultural University (Gaocheng County, Shijiazhuang, China), which is a major wheat-producing area in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain (38.03 • N, 114.84 • E, 56 m above sea level).…”

“…In recent years, several studies have combined metabolomics and transcriptomics analyses to clarify the mechanisms underlying metabolite biosynthesis in plants [41][42][43][44][45][46]. One study analyzed three wheat lines with varying drought tolerance using transcriptomic and metabolomic approaches under moderate and severe drought conditions and revealed that increased antioxidant activity and flavonoid content led to enhanced amino acid biosynthesis and ROS scavenging under drought stress [47].…”

Transcriptome and Metabolome Analyses Reflect the Molecular Mechanism of Drought Tolerance in Sweet Potato

“…The metabolome is a bridge connecting the changes between plant transcriptomes and phenotypes. Integrated analyses of transcriptomes and metabolomes are now widely used to identify key differences in regulatory mechanisms between stress-tolerant and -sensitive genotypes displaying differential phenotypes, and relevant studies have shown that plants respond to drought stress mainly by regulating oxidative balance, signal transduction, plant hormones and energy metabolism [24][25][26][27][28]. In sweet potato, transcriptomics has become a powerful tool for examining various mechanisms, such as potassium-deficiency tolerance [29], skin color [30], and stem nematode resistance [31].…”