Molecular mechanism of thiamine in mitigating drought stress in Chinese wingnut (Pterocarya stenoptera): Insights from transcriptomics

作者：Wei Zhang, Shuchen Wang, Yong Li · 发表于：Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety · 年份：2023 · DOI：10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115307 · 被引用次数：19 · 研究领域：Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms、Cocoa and Sweet Potato Agronomy、Lipid metabolism and biosynthesis

Urban garden plants are frequently affected by drought, which can hinder their growth, development, and greening effect. Previous studies have indicated that Chinese wingnut (Pterocarya stenoptera) responds to drought stress by increasing the expression of thiamine synthesis genes. In this study, it was found that exogenous thiamine can effectively alleviate the negative effects of drought stress on plants. Forward transcriptome sequencing and physiological tests were further conducted to reveal the molecular mechanism of thiamine in alleviating drought stress. Results showed that exogenous thiamine activated the expression of eight chlorophyll synthesis genes in Chinese wingnut under drought stress. Moreover, physiological indicators proved that chlorophyll content increased in leaves of Chinese wingnut with thiamine treatment under drought stress. Photosynthesis genes were also activated in Chinese wingnut treated with exogenous thiamine under drought stress, as supported by photosynthetic indicators PIabs and PItotal. Additionally, exogenous thiamine stimulated the expression of genes in the auxin-activated signaling pathway, thus attenuating the effects of drought stress. This study demonstrates the molecular mechanism of thiamine in mitigating the effects of drought stress on non-model woody plants lacking transgenic systems. This study also provides an effective method to mitigate the negative impacts of drought stress on plants.