Chen Caijin, Bao Mingfang, Zeng Yanxia, Wang Xuemin, Liu Wenhui
Qinghai Academy of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Qinghai University, Xining, Qinghai, China.
Guyuan Branch, Ningxia Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Guyuan, Ningxia, China.
PLoS One. 2025 Apr 29;20(4):e0322022. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0322022. eCollection 2025.
Drought is a major abiotic stress that limits oat growth. This study investigated the phenotypic, physiological, and proteomic differences between drought-resistant (Grain King [G]) and drought-susceptible (XiYue [X]) oat varieties under drought stress (soil water content of 15% ± 5% of field water-holding capacity) and normal conditions (soil water content of 75% ± 5% of field water-holding capacity). Phenotypic analysis showed that plant height, aboveground biomass, and underground biomass decreased under drought stress in both varieties, with variety X exhibiting a greater reduction. Physiological analysis revealed increased malondialdehyde content, soluble sugar (SS) content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) activities in both varieties under drought stress, though variety X showed smaller increases. Proteomic analysis identified 151 differentially accumulated proteins (DAPs) in variety G and 792 in variety X. Further analyses showed that the DAPs in variety G, which were highly correlated with POD and SOD activities and SS content, were primarily involved in energy metabolism, protein translation, RNA processing, amino acid metabolism, and protein folding. Conversely, in variety X, the DAPs were mainly associated with RNA processing, protein stabilization, plant photosynthesis, intracellular signal transduction, and protein folding. Further analysis suggested that variety G significantly upregulated proteases related to photosynthesis, catalysts involved in citrulline synthesis, temperature-induced lipid transport proteins, fibrillin proteins linked to stress tolerance signal transduction and response, and shearing factors involved in mRNA shearing-proteins that were not significantly upregulated in variety X. These proteins may play essential roles in protecting oats from drought stress. Overall, this research elucidates the drought resistance mechanisms of different oat varieties at the protein level.
干旱是限制燕麦生长的主要非生物胁迫。本研究调查了耐旱型（谷王[G]）和干旱敏感型（西悦[X]）燕麦品种在干旱胁迫（土壤含水量为田间持水量的15%±5%）和正常条件（土壤含水量为田间持水量的75%±5%）下的表型、生理和蛋白质组学差异。表型分析表明，在干旱胁迫下，两个品种的株高、地上生物量和地下生物量均下降，其中X品种下降幅度更大。生理分析显示，在干旱胁迫下，两个品种的丙二醛含量、可溶性糖（SS）含量以及超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）和过氧化物酶（POD）活性均增加，不过X品种的增加幅度较小。蛋白质组学分析鉴定出G品种中有151个差异积累蛋白（DAP），X品种中有792个。进一步分析表明，G品种中的DAP与POD和SOD活性以及SS含量高度相关，主要参与能量代谢、蛋白质翻译、RNA加工、氨基酸代谢和蛋白质折叠。相反，在X品种中，DAP主要与RNA加工、蛋白质稳定、植物光合作用、细胞内信号转导和蛋白质折叠有关。进一步分析表明，G品种显著上调了与光合作用相关的蛋白酶、参与瓜氨酸合成的催化剂、温度诱导的脂质转运蛋白、与胁迫耐受信号转导和反应相关的原纤蛋白以及参与mRNA剪切的剪切因子——这些蛋白在X品种中未显著上调。这些蛋白可能在保护燕麦免受干旱胁迫中发挥重要作用。总体而言，本研究在蛋白质水平上阐明了不同燕麦品种的抗旱机制。
