Hui Su, Yujian Yang, Yamiao Zhang, Yadong Wang, Ashley Jones, Jinpeng Li, Youhong Song
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Wheat rapidly induces complex metabolic reactions in response to cold stress, yet the physiological mechanisms governing its natural recovery process remain poorly understood. In a two-year pot experiment, we examined recovery dynamics of the wheat cultivar Zhengmai 366 during booting stage under control (CK, 10/10 °C), chilling (CS, 10/2 °C), and freezing (FS, 10/-2 °C) treatments. Following stress relief, we performed comprehensive analyses on spikelet morphology, physiology, transcriptomes, and metabolomes. Spikelet development was consistently delayed in both post-cold recovery scenarios, with an irreversible damage due to cellular breakdown during FS recovery. Physiological investigations demonstrated that antioxidant enzyme activities, sucrose, hexose, and proline concentration restored to normal levels after CS recovery, but remained suppressed after FS recovery. Furthermore, a progressive increase in IAA levels and a progressive decline in ABA levels concurred during the CS recovery, which may facilitate the resumption of spikelet development. Machine learning highlighted sucrose content and the IAA/ABA ratio as primary predictors of grain number. Multi-omics integration further confirmed that the recovery is determined by sucrose-hexose conversion efficiency and hormonal balance. Collectively, this study revealed that wheat recovery from cold is mediated by coordinated carbon metabolism and hormonal homeostasis. This provided valuable insights toward improving cold tolerance in wheat production.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Experimental Botany publishes high-quality primary research and review papers in the plant sciences. These papers cover a range of disciplines from molecular and cellular physiology and biochemistry through whole plant physiology to community physiology.
Full-length primary papers should contribute to our understanding of how plants develop and function, and should provide new insights into biological processes. The journal will not publish purely descriptive papers or papers that report a well-known process in a species in which the process has not been identified previously. Articles should be concise and generally limited to 10 printed pages.