Yang Jie, Li Hongquan, Zhang Su, Zhang Yuexin, Xie Jianbo, Wink Michael, Fu Yujie
College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China.
College of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and Resource Utilization, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China.
Physiol Plant. 2025 Jan-Feb;177(1):e70111. doi: 10.1111/ppl.70111.
Pigeon pea is an important economic crop with medicinal and nutritional value. Unfortunately, pest infestation of leaves during postharvest storage seriously affects the quality of pigeon pea. Phytohormones play a crucial role in disease and pest defence by regulating the accumulation of specialized metabolites. Still, their impact on the postharvest storage of pigeon pea has not been reported. In this study, the physiological parameters and main phenotypes of pigeon pea leaves treated with MeJA, ABA, and GA were investigated for the first time. The activity of the antioxidant enzyme system, which eliminates reactive oxygen species, was enhanced by applying MeJA, GA, and ABA. MeJA, GA, and ABA significantly affected crown width, plant height, and relative water content in pigeon pea, respectively. Metabolomic profiling analysis identified phenolic compounds as the main differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs). UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS identified stilbenes, flavanones, flavones, isoflavones and anthocyanins as major phenolic compounds responsive to MeJA, GA, and ABA induction. By feeding insects, it was found that the insects fed on MeJA-, ABA-, and GA-treated leaves less than on control leaves. Correlation analysis confirmed that isoflavones play an important role in this process. Moreover, the expression of key genes involved in flavonoid biosynthetic pathways and anti-insect-related genes was regulated by MeJA, GA, and ABA. Overall, this work provides a new strategy for the cultivation and storage of pigeon pea or other commercial crops and preliminarily clarifies that flavonoid metabolites under plant hormone treatment can promote plant growth and defence against insects by regulating reactive oxygen species.
木豆是一种具有药用和营养价值的重要经济作物。不幸的是，收获后储存期间叶片受到害虫侵害会严重影响木豆的品质。植物激素通过调节特殊代谢产物的积累，在病虫害防御中发挥关键作用。然而，它们对木豆收获后储存的影响尚未见报道。在本研究中，首次对用茉莉酸甲酯（MeJA）、脱落酸（ABA）和赤霉素（GA）处理的木豆叶片的生理参数和主要表型进行了研究。施用MeJA、GA和ABA可增强消除活性氧的抗氧化酶系统的活性。MeJA、GA和ABA分别对木豆的冠幅、株高和相对含水量有显著影响。代谢组学分析确定酚类化合物为主要差异积累代谢物（DAMs）。超高效液相色谱-串联四极杆飞行时间质谱（UPLC-QqQ-MS/MS）鉴定出芪类、黄烷酮类黄酮类、异黄酮类和花青素类为对MeJA、GA和ABA诱导有响应的主要酚类化合物。通过喂食昆虫发现，取食经MeJA、ABA和GA处理叶片的昆虫比取食对照叶片的少。相关性分析证实异黄酮在这一过程中起重要作用。此外，MeJA、GA和ABA调节了类黄酮生物合成途径关键基因和抗虫相关基因的表达。总体而言，这项工作为木豆或其他商业作物的种植和储存提供了一种新策略，并初步阐明了植物激素处理下的类黄酮代谢产物可通过调节活性氧促进植物生长和抵御昆虫。
