Li Yingao, Dong Chunyang, Zulfiqar Zeshan, Wang Haojie, Lu Jiading, Zhang Xiaoxia, Li Jun, Shi Yinghua, Wang Chengzhang, Zhu Xiaoyan, Sun Hao
Henan Key Laboratory of Innovation and Utilization of Grassland Resources, College of Animal Science and Technology, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, 450046, China.
Luoyang Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Luoyang, 471000, China.
BMC Plant Biol. 2025 Aug 9;25(1):1048. doi: 10.1186/s12870-025-07129-x.
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a vital forage crop with substantial economic and ecological significance in agriculture and animal husbandry. However, atrazine, a widely used herbicide, negatively impacts the growth and yield of alfalfa due to its residual presence in the environment. Transcriptomic analysis was performed to investigate the differences in tolerance and uncover the potential molecular regulatory mechanisms between the tolerant variety JN5010 and the sensitive variety WL363 when subjected to atrazine stress, using RNA-seq on pooled samples.
Based on the analysis of gene expression profiles, significant differences were observed between the tolerant variety JN5010 and the sensitive variety WL363 under atrazine stress: 2,297 upregulated and 3,167 downregulated in the shoot parts, and 3,232 upregulated and 4,907 downregulated in the roots of JN5010. In WL363, 2,937 genes were upregulated and 4,237 genes were downregulated in the shoot parts, while 5,316 genes were upregulated and 7,977 genes were downregulated in the roots. The DEGs in the shoot parts were mainly involved in biological regulation, metabolic processes, and cellular processes, including proline metabolic processes and S-adenosylmethionine cycle. The DEGs in the roots were predominantly associated with nitric oxide synthesis and metabolism, as well as processes related to cell wall biosynthesis and degradation. In the shoot parts of JN5010, six DEGs were mapped onto the proline metabolic pathway, including four upregulated genes involved in proline biosynthesis and two downregulated genes involved in proline catabolism. In the roots of WL363, eleven DEGs were mapped onto the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway, including seven upregulated genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis and four downregulated genes associated with lignin biosynthesis. These findings highlight the distinct genetic responses of the two alfalfa varieties to atrazine stress, with JN5010 exhibiting more consistent gene expression patterns compared to the sensitive variety WL363.
The tolerant variety JN5010 shows improved tolerance to atrazine stress by maintaining stable gene expression and precise regulation in various pathways, such as antioxidant processes, signaling, photosynthesis, and toxin removal. This differential gene expression helps JN5010 maintain stability in its functions under stress, demonstrating better adaptability. These findings enhance our understanding of how alfalfa tolerates atrazine stress and provide important insights for developing atrazine-tolerant varieties.
紫花苜蓿（Medicago sativa L.）是一种重要的饲料作物，在农牧业中具有重大的经济和生态意义。然而，广泛使用的除草剂莠去津因其在环境中的残留，对紫花苜蓿的生长和产量产生负面影响。本研究通过对混合样本进行RNA测序，开展转录组分析，以探究耐莠去津品种JN5010和敏感品种WL363在莠去津胁迫下的耐受性差异，并揭示潜在的分子调控机制。
基于基因表达谱分析，在莠去津胁迫下，耐莠去津品种JN5010和敏感品种WL363之间观察到显著差异：JN5010地上部分有2297个基因上调，3167个基因下调；根部有3232个基因上调，4907个基因下调。在WL363中，地上部分有2937个基因上调，4237个基因下调；根部有5316个基因上调，7977个基因下调。地上部分的差异表达基因主要参与生物调控、代谢过程和细胞过程，包括脯氨酸代谢过程和S-腺苷甲硫氨酸循环。根部的差异表达基因主要与一氧化氮合成和代谢以及细胞壁生物合成和降解相关过程有关。在JN5010的地上部分，6个差异表达基因映射到脯氨酸代谢途径，包括4个参与脯氨酸生物合成的上调基因和2个参与脯氨酸分解代谢的下调基因。在WL363的根部，11个差异表达基因映射到苯丙烷生物合成途径，包括7个参与类黄酮生物合成的上调基因和4个与木质素生物合成相关的下调基因。这些发现突出了两个紫花苜蓿品种对莠去津胁迫的不同遗传反应，与敏感品种WL363相比，JN5010表现出更一致的基因表达模式。
耐莠去津品种JN5010通过在抗氧化过程、信号传导、光合作用和毒素清除等各种途径中维持稳定的基因表达和精确调控，表现出对莠去津胁迫的耐受性提高。这种差异基因表达有助于JN5010在胁迫下维持其功能的稳定性，表现出更好的适应性。这些发现增进了我们对紫花苜蓿如何耐受莠去津胁迫的理解，并为培育耐莠去津品种提供了重要见解。
