Abstract
Autotoxicity is known as a critical factor in replanting problem that reduces land utilization and creates economic losses. Benzoic acid (BA) is identified as a major autotoxin in peach replant problem, and causes stunted seedling growth or even death. However, the physiological and molecular mechanisms of peach response to BA stress remain elusive. Here, we comprehensively studied the morphophysiological, transcriptional, and metabolic responses of peach plants to BA toxicity. Results showed that BA stress inhibited peach seedlings growth, decreased chlorophyll contents and fluorescence levels, as well as disturbed mineral metabolism. The contents of hydrogen peroxide, superoxide anion, and malondialdehyde, as well as the total antioxidant capacity, were significantly increased under BA stress. A total of 6,319 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified after BA stress, of which the DEGs related to photosynthesis, redox, and ion metabolism were greatly changed; meanwhile, numerous stress-responsive genes (HSPs, GSTs, GR, and ABC transporters) and transcription factors (MYB, AP2/ERF, NAC, bHLH, and WRKY) were noticeably altered under BA stress. BA induced metabolic reprogramming, and 74 differentially accumulated metabolites, including amino acids and derivatives, fatty acids, organic acids, sugars, and sugar alcohols, were identified in BA-stressed roots. Furthermore, an integrated analysis of genes and metabolites indicated that most of the co-mapped KEGG pathways were enriched in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism, which implied a disturbed carbon and nitrogen metabolism after BA stress. The findings would be insightful in elucidating the mechanisms of plant response to autotoxicity stress, and help guide crops in alleviating replant problem.
Highlights
Peach (Prunus persica) is an economically important fruit crop worldwide, with a global yield of approximately 25 million tons annually, of which above half are produced in China (Zheng et al, 2021)
The results indicated that Benzoic acid (BA) treatments inhibited plant growth and root development, and a significant inhibition starting at 0.4 mM BA
We found that the contents of pipecolic acid were increased after BA stress, which might be useful for maintaining the osmotic pressure stability of peach roots, thereby reducing BAmediated damage
Summary
Peach (Prunus persica) is an economically important fruit crop worldwide, with a global yield of approximately 25 million tons annually, of which above half are produced in China (Zheng et al, 2021). With the increased demand and the reduced cultivated land acreage of peach, replant problem ( known as replant disease) has become increasingly prominent (He et al, 2019). Replant problem refers to a phenomenon of the successive plantation of same or similar plant species on the same land, resulting in reductions of crop yield and quality under usual cultivation practices (Zhu et al, 2017; Yin et al, 2018). The underlying factors for replanting problems are largely attributed to allelopathic autotoxicity, microbial community shift, and soil fertility imbalance (Guo et al, 2016; Yim et al, 2020; Zhang et al, 2020c). Autotoxicity is a knotty problem due to the complicated generation, accumulation, and detoxification mechanisms of various autotoxins
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
