Aug 2026· International Journal of Molecular Sciences· Vol 27, pp. 7032· 0 citations· 50 references
Medicine
TL;DR
Findings demonstrate that dormancy release in P. sibiricum is governed by coordinated hormonal reprogramming, metabolic mobilization, and transcription factor-mediated regulation, providing a theoretical foundation for improving seed germination in this medicinal plant.
Abstract
The seeds of Polygonatum sibiricum exhibit dormancy, which poses a major challenge for its cultivation. To elucidate the regulatory mechanisms underlying dormancy release, we performed integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses on seeds at 0, 5, 10, and 15 d after seed imbibition. Physiological assays revealed progressive declines in abscisic acid (ABA) and starch levels, alongside increases in gibberellin (GA) and soluble sugar contents, reflecting the metabolic changes accompanying the transition from dormancy to germination. Transcriptomic analysis identified 11,520 expressed genes, with 6753, 7775 and 9387 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at T5, T10, and T15, respectively. KEGG enrichment highlighted starch and sucrose metabolism and plant hormone signal transduction as key pathways. Notably, the GA biosynthesis gene GA3ox was markedly upregulated, while the DELLA repressor (Isoform0012761) showed sustained downregulation, suggesting relieved GA signaling. In the ABA pathway, CYP707A catabolic genes exhibited biphasic expression, and ABA signaling components (PYL, PP2C, SnRK2) showed stage-specific remodeling. A total of 316, 412, and 479 differentially expressed transcription factors were identified across stages, with the GRAS family being the largest. Co-expression network analysis revealed 19 transcription factors integrating starch/sucrose metabolism with ABA and GA signaling, most of which were downregulated, except one C2H2 member showing sustained upregulation. These findings demonstrate that dormancy release in P. sibiricum is governed by coordinated hormonal reprogramming, metabolic mobilization, and transcription factor-mediated regulation, providing a theoretical foundation for improving seed germination in this medicinal plant.
Seed dormancy is a critical agronomic trait that affects uniform germination and seedling establishment in Luffa cylindrica. In this study, we performed phenotypic, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses on two contrasting Luffa cylindrica materials: Z-184 and Z-114. Phenotypic evaluation revealed that compared with Z-114 seeds, Z-184 seeds exhibited significantly lower germination potentials and germination rates. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that the DEGs were predominantly associated with plant hormone signal transduction, MAPK signaling, and metabolic pathways. Metabolomic profiling revealed 2,469 metabolites, with 728 showing significant changes during dormancy release. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses highlighted coordinated changes in hormone-, energy-, and secondary metabolism-related pathways. Hormone quantification further demonstrated that the differential accumulation of GA₄, trans-zeatin and trans-zeatin riboside (tZ + tZR), and 2- cis-4-trans- (+) abscisic acid (an isomer of abscisic acid, ABA) was closely associated with the contrasting dormancy phenotypes. These findings provide reference data for the study of the dormancy mechanism of seeds in Luffa cylindrica and lay the foundation for the breeding of weakly dormant Luffa cylindrica.
Luyao Gao, Wenqi Dong, Yu-jie Shi et al.· Plant Science· 0 citations
Gibberellins (GA) and paclobutrazol (PP) are plant growth regulators with contrasting effects on plant development, but their regulatory associations in perennial tree crops like walnut (Juglans regia) remain incompletely understood. In this study, 'Lvling' walnut trees were foliar-sprayed with 50 mg L-1 GA and 1000 mg·L-1 PP at 30 days after flowering.Physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolomic analyses were then performed to clarify the mechanisms by which these two growth regulators affect the growth and development of walnut leaves. GA treatment decreased abscisic acid (ABA) and indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) and increased zeatin riboside, isopentenyladenine, chlorophyll, soluble sugars, and proteins; by contrast, PP increased ABA and IAA but reduced chlorophyll, soluble sugars, and starch, thereby delaying growth. Transcriptome analysis showed that GA upregulated GA signalling and starch metabolism genes (GID1, SLY1, AGPase, SUS), while PP activated ABA signalling (NCED3, ABF2) and stress-resistance genes (LOX2, PR1). Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis indicated that GA mainly influenced carotenoid and starch-sucrose metabolism, whereas PP regulated α-linolenic acid metabolism and anthocyanin biosynthesis. Metabolomics further revealed that GA promoted the accumulation of flavonoids and jasmonic acid, while PP increased the abundance of osmotic adjustment compounds such as proline and glutathione. Overall, these results suggest that GA and PP induce divergent regulatory patterns in walnut leaves, with GA favoring growth-related hormone signaling and carbon metabolism, and PP favoring stress- and defense-related metabolic reprogramming. This study provides candidate genes and metabolic pathways for optimizing the application of growth regulators in walnut cultivation.
Yuanyuan Zhu, Han Li, Ziqian Fu et al.· Plant physiology and biochem...· 1 citation
Seed germination of Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis is intrinsically low, severely restricting its artificial propagation. Despite the known roles of ABA and GAs, the regulatory functions of other phytohormones in this process remain largely unexplored. In this study, we integrated transcriptomic and targeted metabolomic profiling to systematically investigate the dynamics of 34 phytohormones and global gene expression patterns across five germination stages of P. polyphylla seeds. Seven hormones showed significant changes during germination, including auxins, melatonin, cytokinins, and jasmonate, which exhibited distinct accumulation patterns. Integrative correlation analysis further uncovered candidate genes potentially involved in hormone biosynthesis and signaling. Collectively, our findings provide new insights into the hormonal regulation of seed germination in P. polyphylla, establish a foundational framework for understanding its germination mechanisms, and offer candidate molecular targets for improving seed propagation efficiency.
Xunge Zhu, Zong-Liang Xu, Jichao Li et al.· Horticulturae· 0 citations
The combined transcriptome and metabolome analysis revealed that plant hormone signal transduction, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and flavonoid biosynthesis were significantly enriched in resistant rice varieties, providing valuable information on the molecular mechanisms by which rice defends against U. virens infection.
Rong-Tao Fu, Huan Li, Xi Luo et al.· BMC Plant Biology· 0 citations
Solanum torvum, a superior vegetable grafting rootstock and medicinal Solanaceae plant, exhibits strong seed dormancy, which limits its commercial cultivation. Among various strategies explored to improve the germination rate of S. torvum, exogenous application of gibberellin (GA) has been shown to be effective. In this study, a GA concentration of 2.5 mM was established as the optimal for breaking dormancy in S. torvum seeds. Transcriptome analysis of dry, water-soaked, GA-soaked, and GA-induced germinated seeds was conducted to investigate the molecular mechanism of GA-mediated dormancy release. During the soaking period, GA application significantly induced transcriptome changes in processes including protein processing, translation, and peptide biosynthesis. Concurrently, GA treatment promoted plant hormone signal transduction, enhanced DNA-binding transcription factor activity, and activated monocarboxylic acid biosynthetic process, all of which facilitated seed water absorption. Furthermore, the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) induced by GA during soaking primarily functioned in signal transduction or activation. While most of these DEGs returned to their pre-treatment expression levels before subsequent recovery, a subset persisted until seed germination. During radicle protrusion, the persistent DEGs were associated with energy metabolism and cell structure establishment. Notably, heat shock protein (HSP) genes showed dynamic expression across all stages (soaking, germination, and radicle penetration). Furthermore, by adjusting germination conditions, temperature was confirmed to be a necessary but not sufficient condition for GA-induced S. torvum seed germination. However, functional validation (e.g., using HSP inhibitors or genetic approaches) is still required to confirm the causal role of HSPs. Collectively, these findings not only clarify the molecular basis of GA-regulated seed dormancy breaking in S. torvum but also provide practical guidance for optimizing its commercial propagation protocols.
Gentiana lawrencei var. farreri (G. farreri) is an important endangered Tibetan medicinal plant. This study aimed to uncover temperature-mediated physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying growth and flowering of this endangered Tibetan medicinal herb, providing theoretical guidance for its standardized artificial cultivation. This study established three diurnal temperature treatments: 15/5 °C (S15), 20/10 °C (S20), and 25/15 °C (S25), and conducted integrated analyses of phenotypic, physiological, non-targeted metabolomic, and transcriptomic data. The results showed that S15 significantly promoted plant biomass accumulation and flowering, with a flowering rate of 45.83%, significantly higher than that of other treatments. S15 significantly reduced the levels of soluble sugar, soluble protein, fructose, and starch, while increasing CAT activity to enhance antioxidant capacity; endogenous hormones showed elevated gibberellin (GA) and decreased indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), establishing a hormonal balance favorable for flowering. Integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis revealed that the flavonoid biosynthesis pathway (ko00941) is the core pathway responsive to temperature; S15 induces an increase in the contents of flavonoid metabolites including naringenin, delphinidin, petunidin, and peonidin, and simultaneously upregulates the expression of key genes including the PAL-encoding gene Cluster-62424.2, the 4CL-encoding gene Cluster-45063.0, and the CHS-encoding gene Cluster-44799.3 involved in flavonoid biosynthesis under this condition. S15 reduces the content of osmotic adjustment substances, increases GA content in plant branches, and enhances antioxidant capacity, which synergistically promotes the growth and flowering of G. farreri. Additionally, S15 mediates the accumulation of flavonoid compounds by regulating key genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, thereby elevating the accumulation of bioactive constituents isoorientin and isoscoparin-2″-O-β-D-glucopyranoside. This study can provide crucial theoretical support for the optimal temperature regulation and control in the artificial cultivation of G. farreri.
Lame Zeren, Zhuoma Deqing, Yue Xu et al.· Frontiers in Plant Science· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
