Project description:Genome and methylome variation in populations of Plantago lanceolata (narrow-leaved plantain) in an experiment investigating plant response to elevated [CO2]
Project description:Background: The unique vertical climate of Yunnan Province provides diverse resources for livestock development; however, frequent seasonal droughts during winter and spring result in a severe imbalance between forage supply and demand, constituting a major bottleneck for sustainable pastoral agriculture. Plantago lanceolata, a high-quality forage species characterized by exceptional drought and poverty tolerance, offers significant agronomic advantages, including early spring regrowth and suitability for over-sowing in perennial pastures. These traits make it vital for mitigating forage shortages and ensuring a stable supply in Yunnan. Although commercially cultivated in New Zealand and Australia, its adaptability evaluation and the molecular mechanisms underlying its drought resistance in China remain largely unexplored. Results: In this study, pot-based water-restricted experiments were conducted to simulate field drought conditions (Ψs ≈ -0.94 MPa). Systemic physiological and molecular responses were analyzed using biochemical assays, transcriptomics (Illumina NovaSeq 6000), and non-targeted metabolomics (LC-MS). Drought stress reduced the net photosynthetic rate by 93.2% while increasing peroxidase activity by 495.7%. Transcriptomic profiling identified 12,572 DEGs, which were significantly enriched in pathways related to photosynthesis, ROS scavenging, flavonoid biosynthesis, and phytohormone signal transduction. Metabolomic analysis detected 372 DEMs, with flavonoids (flavones and flavonols) and soluble sugars identified as the primary responsive metabolites. Integrated multi-omics analysis further screened key genes involved in drought tolerance regulation, including FNS II, F3H, and LOX. Conclusion: This study elucidates a multi-layered drought resistance mechanism in Plantago lanceolata, characterized by the synergistic coordination of ABA-JA hormonal crosstalk, photosystem remodeling, low-energy carbohydrate-mediated osmotic adjustment, and compartmentalized antioxidant defense, with flavonoid biosynthesis acting as a terminal chemical barrier. Key candidate genes and metabolites associated with these responses were identified. These findings provide multi-omic evidence for elucidating the environmental adaptation mechanisms of Plantago lanceolata and offer valuable candidate gene targets for the molecular breeding of stress-resistant forage crops.
Project description:<p>• Plant species diversity enhances community productivity, but how plant diversity impacts the metabolome of individual plants and the underlying eco-evolutionary processes remains unclear. This study investigated how plant species diversity and selection for growing in different diversity environments affects the leaf metabolome of Plantago lanceolata.</p><p>• We compared the metabolites of plants derived from those that had been selected in the “Jena Experiment” for 17 years in plant communities with differing plant diversity with the metabolites of naïve plants not subjected to this selection. The metabolic profiles of selected P. lanceolata plants were also compared after growing in experimental environments varying in plant diversity, soil history and community plant history.</p><p>• Volatile compound diversity in P. lanceolata decreased with plant species richness, primarily due to phenotypic plasticity rather than selection. Soil history further strengthened this relationship. Conversely, non-volatile compound diversity increased with plant species richness, but only in phytometers subjected to diversity-driven selection. These effects were more pronounced when plants shared soil-plant history with their community.</p><p>• In summary, our study revealed that both plastic and adaptative responses shape the metabolome of P. lanceolata in relation to plant diversity with these effects becoming stronger as plant and soil communities mature.</p>
Project description:We sequenced mRNA from dormant, reactivating, and actively growing C. lanceolata vascular cambium using tangential cryosections to generate the first transcriptome dynamics that may serve as a gene expression profile blueprint for cambium development and wood formation in the conifer. Examination of mRNA levels in dormant, reactivating, and actively growing C. lanceolata vascular cambium, respectively