Dataset Information

Physiological and transcriptomic analyses provide insight into thermotolerance in desert plant Zygophyllum xanthoxylum.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Heat stress has adverse effects on the growth and reproduction of plants. Zygophyllum xanthoxylum, a typical xerophyte, is a dominant species in the desert where summer temperatures are around 40 °C. However, the mechanism underlying the thermotolerance of Z. xanthoxylum remained unclear.

Results

Here, we characterized the acclimation of Z. xanthoxylum to heat using a combination of physiological measurements and transcriptional profiles under treatments at 40 °C and 45 °C, respectively. Strikingly, moderate high temperature (40 °C) led to an increase in photosynthetic capacity and superior plant performance, whereas severe high temperature (45 °C) was accompanied by reduced photosynthetic capacity and inhibited growth. Transcriptome profiling indicated that the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were related to transcription factor activity, protein folding and photosynthesis under heat conditions. Furthermore, numerous genes encoding heat transcription shock factors (HSFs) and heat shock proteins (HSPs) were significantly up-regulated under heat treatments, which were correlated with thermotolerance of Z. xanthoxylum. Interestingly, the up-regulation of PSI and PSII genes and the down-regulation of chlorophyll catabolism genes likely contribute to improving plant performance of Z. xanthoxylum under moderate high temperature.

Conclusions

We identified key genes associated with of thermotolerance and growth in Z. xanthoxylum, which provide significant insights into the regulatory mechanisms of thermotolerance and growth regulation in Z. xanthoxylum under high temperature conditions.

SUBMITTER: Bai WP

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9814312 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Physiological and transcriptomic analyses provide insight into thermotolerance in desert plant Zygophyllum xanthoxylum.

Bai Wan-Peng WP Li Hu-Jun HJ Hepworth Shelley R SR Liu Hai-Shuang HS Liu Lin-Bo LB Wang Gai-Ni GN Ma Qing Q Bao Ai-Ke AK Wang Suo-Min SM

BMC plant biology 20230105 1

<h4>Background</h4>Heat stress has adverse effects on the growth and reproduction of plants. Zygophyllum xanthoxylum, a typical xerophyte, is a dominant species in the desert where summer temperatures are around 40 °C. However, the mechanism underlying the thermotolerance of Z. xanthoxylum remained unclear.<h4>Results</h4>Here, we characterized the acclimation of Z. xanthoxylum to heat using a combination of physiological measurements and transcriptional profiles under treatments at 40 °C and 45 ...[more]

PMID: 36600201

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Project description:Understanding the unusual physiological mechanisms that enable drought tolerance in xerophytes will be of considerable benefit because of the potential to identify novel and key genetic elements for future crop improvements. These plants are interesting because they are well-adapted for life in arid zones; Zygophyllum xanthoxylum, for example, is a typical xerophytic shrub that inhabits central Asian deserts, accumulating substantial levels of sodium (Na+) in its succulent leaves while growing in soils that contain very low levels of this ion. The physiological importance of this unusual trait to drought adaptations remains poorly understood, however. Thus, 2-week-old Z. xanthoxylum plants were treated with 50 mM NaCl (Na) for 7 days in this study in order to investigate their drought tolerance, leaf osmotic potential (Ψs) related parameters, anatomical characteristics, and transpiration traits. The results demonstrated that NaCl treatment significantly enhanced both the survivability and durability of Z. xanthoxylum plants under extreme drought conditions. The bulk of the Na+ ions encapsulated in plants was overwhelmingly allocated to leaves rather than roots or stems under drought conditions; thus, compared to the control, significantly more Na+ compared to other solutes such as K+, Ca2+, Cl-, sugars, and proline accumulated in the leaves of NaCl-treated plants and led to a marked decrease (31%) in leaf Ψs. In addition, the accumulation of Na+ ions also resulted in mesophyll cell enlargement and leaf succulence, enabling the additional storage of water; Na+ ions also reduced the rate of water loss by decreasing stomatal density and down-regulating stomatal aperture size. The results of this study demonstrate that Z. xanthoxylum has evolved a notable ability to utilize Na+ ions to lower Ψs, swell its leaves, and decrease stomatal aperture sizes, in order to enable the additional uptake and storage of water and mitigate losses. These distinctive drought adaption characteristics mean that the xerophytic plant Z. xanthoxylum presents a fascinating case study for the potential identification of important and novel genetic elements that could improve crops. This report provides insights on the eco-physiological role of sodium accumulation in xerophytes adapted to extremely arid habitats.

Dataset Information

Physiological and transcriptomic analyses provide insight into thermotolerance in desert plant Zygophyllum xanthoxylum.

Background

Results

Conclusions

Publications

Physiological and transcriptomic analyses provide insight into thermotolerance in desert plant Zygophyllum xanthoxylum.

Similar Datasets

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