Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis reveals the role of phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway in tomato roots during salt stress

Abstract

As global soil salinization continues to intensify, there is a need to enhance salt tolerance in crops. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) roots’ adaptation to salt stress is of great significance to enhance its salt tolerance and promote its planting in saline soils. A combined analysis of the metabolome and transcriptome of S. lycopersicum roots under different periods of salt stress according to changes in phenotypic and root physiological indices revealed that different accumulated metabolites and differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with phenylpropanoid biosynthesis were significantly altered. The levels of phenylpropanoids increased and showed a dynamic trend with the duration of salt stress. Ferulic acid (FA) and spermidine (Spd) levels were substantially up-regulated at the initial and mid-late stages of salt stress, respectively, and were significantly correlated with the expression of the corresponding synthetic genes. The results of canonical correlation analysis screening of highly correlated DEGs and construction of regulatory relationship networks with transcription factors (TFs) for FA and Spd, respectively, showed that the obtained target genes were regulated by most of the TFs, and TFs such as MYB, Dof, BPC, GRAS, and AP2/ERF might contribute to the regulation of FA and Spd content levels. Ultimately, FA and Spd attenuated the harm caused by salt stress in S. lycopersicum, and they may be key regulators of its salt tolerance. These findings uncover the dynamics and possible molecular mechanisms of phenylpropanoids during different salt stress periods, providing a basis for future studies and crop improvement.

Quantitative Time-Course Analysis of Osmotic and Salt Stress inArabidopsis thalianausing Short Gradient Multi-CV FAIMSpro BoxCar DIA

“…For example, we find a protein cluster related to suberin biosynthesis (Figure 5C), which is consistent with suberin being reported to prevent root water loss (46,47). We also find phenylpropanoid biosynthetic proteins to be a large portion of Cluster 4 (Figure 5C), with their accumulation having been related to abiotic stress resistance in apple (48) and wheat (49).…”

Integrated Analysis of Transcriptome and Metabolome Reveals Molecular Mechanisms of Rice with Different Salinity Tolerances

“…Transcriptome and metabolomic analysis found that genes involved in the synthesis pathways of phenylpropanin, ferulic acid (FA), and spermidine (Spd) in tomatoes, especially transcription factors such as MYB, Dof, BPC, and AP2/ERF, were expressed under salt stress [67]. Combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis under watermelon salt stress showed that genes involved in phenylpropanin synthesis, hormone signaling, and carbohydrate synthesis pathways, as well as bHLH family transcription factors, played an important role in improving the salt tolerance of watermelon [68].…”