Unveiling the Cold Acclimation of Alfalfa: Insights into Its Starch-Soluble Sugar Dynamic Transformation.

ABSTRACT: Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is a globally distributed economic legume crop used for forage and ecological restoration. We aimed to explore the mechanisms underlying the cold acclimation observed in this species. Our results for fall plant growth showed that non-dormant alfalfa (SD) maintained a vigorous growth rate compared to that of fall-dormant alfalfa (ZD); however, the winter survival rate of ZD was higher than that of SD. Among the ZD samples, the starch content first accumulated and then decreased; the sucrose content was consumed first along with simultaneous raffinose accumulation, which was followed by sucrose content accumulation, with consistent changes in the corresponding related synthase and hydrolase activity. SD exhibited the opposite trend. The transcriptome data sho

SUBMITTER: Zhu L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12073796 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature