School of Pharmacy, State Key Laboratory of Characteristic Chinese Medicine Resources in Southwest China, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, 611137, China.
Key Laboratory of Bioactive Substances and Resources Utilization of Chinese Herbal Medicines, Ministry of Education & National Engineering Laboratory for Breeding of Endangered Medicinal Materials, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100193, China.
BMC Plant Biol. 2024 May 30;24(1):480. doi: 10.1186/s12870-024-05063-y.
Phosphorus, a crucial macronutrient essential for plant growth and development. Due to widespread phosphorus deficiency in soils, phosphorus deficiency stress has become one of the major abiotic stresses that plants encounter. Despite the evolution of adaptive mechanisms in plants to address phosphorus deficiency, the specific strategies employed by species such as Epimedium pubescens remain elusive. Therefore, this study observed the changes in the growth, physiological reponses, and active components accumulation in E. pubescensunder phosphorus deficiency treatment, and integrated transcriptome and miRNA analysis, so as to offer comprehensive insights into the adaptive mechanisms employed by E. pubescens in response to phosphorus deficiency across various stages of phosphorus treatment. Remarkably, our findings indicate that phosphorus deficiency induces root growth stimulation in E. pubescens, while concurrently inhibiting the growth of leaves, which are of medicinal value. Surprisingly, this stressful condition results in an augmented accumulation of active components in the leaves. During the early stages (30 days), leaves respond by upregulating genes associated with carbon metabolism, flavonoid biosynthesis, and hormone signaling. This adaptive response facilitates energy production, ROS scavenging, and morphological adjustments to cope with short-term phosphorus deficiency and sustain its growth. As time progresses (90 days), the expression of genes related to phosphorus cycling and recycling in leaves is upregulated, and transcriptional and post-transcriptional regulation (miRNA regulation and protein modification) is enhanced. Simultaneously, plant growth is further suppressed, and it gradually begins to discard and decompose leaves to resist the challenges of long-term phosphorus deficiency stress and sustain survival. In conclusion, our study deeply and comprehensively reveals adaptive strategies utilized by E. pubescens in response to phosphorus deficiency, demonstrating its resilience and thriving potential under stressful conditions. Furthermore, it provides valuable information on potential target genes for the cultivation of E. pubescens genotypes tolerant to low phosphorus.
磷是植物生长和发育所必需的关键大量营养素。由于土壤中普遍存在磷缺乏，磷缺乏胁迫已成为植物面临的主要非生物胁迫之一。尽管植物已经进化出适应机制来应对磷缺乏，但像淫羊藿这样的物种所采用的具体策略仍然难以捉摸。因此，本研究观察了淫羊藿在磷缺乏处理下的生长、生理反应和活性成分积累的变化，并结合转录组和 miRNA 分析，全面了解淫羊藿在不同磷处理阶段应对磷缺乏的适应机制。值得注意的是，我们的研究结果表明，磷缺乏会刺激淫羊藿的根系生长，同时抑制具有药用价值的叶片生长。令人惊讶的是，这种胁迫条件会导致叶片中活性成分的积累增加。在早期（30 天），叶片通过上调与碳代谢、类黄酮生物合成和激素信号相关的基因来做出反应。这种适应性反应有助于产生能量、清除 ROS 和进行形态调整，以应对短期磷缺乏并维持其生长。随着时间的推移（90 天），叶片中与磷循环和再循环相关的基因表达上调，转录和转录后调控（miRNA 调控和蛋白质修饰）增强。同时，植物生长进一步受到抑制，它逐渐开始丢弃和分解叶片，以抵抗长期磷缺乏胁迫的挑战并维持生存。总之，本研究深入全面地揭示了淫羊藿应对磷缺乏的适应策略，展示了其在胁迫条件下的弹性和生存潜力。此外，它为培育对低磷耐受的淫羊藿基因型提供了有价值的潜在目标基因信息。
