Metabolic Insight into Cold Stress Response in Two Contrasting Maize Lines.

Tao Yu,Xin Li,Changhua Liu,Jianguo Zhang,Lishan Wang,Jingsheng Cao,Sinan Li

doi:10.3390/life12020282

Tao Yu, Xin Li + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/life12020282

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Abstract

Maize (Zea mays L.) is sensitive to a minor decrease in temperature at early growth stages, resulting in deteriorated growth at later stages. Although there are significant variations in maize germplasm in response to cold stress, the metabolic responses as stress tolerance mechanisms are largely unknown. Therefore, this study aimed at providing insight into the metabolic responses under cold stress at the early growth stages of maize. Two inbred lines, tolerant (B144) and susceptible (Q319), were subjected to cold stress at the seedling stage, and their corresponding metabolic profiles were explored. The study identified differentially accumulated metabolites in both cultivars in response to induced cold stress with nine core conserved cold-responsive metabolites. Guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate was detected as a potential biomarker metabolite to differentiate cold tolerant and sensitive maize genotypes. Furthermore, Quercetin-3-O-(2″′-p-coumaroyl)sophoroside-7-O-glucoside, Phloretin, Phloretin-2′-O-glucoside, Naringenin-7-O-Rutinoside, L-Lysine, L-phenylalanine, L-Glutamine, Sinapyl alcohol, and Feruloyltartaric acid were regulated explicitly in B144 and could be important cold-tolerance metabolites. These results increase our understanding of cold-mediated metabolic responses in maize that can be further utilized to enhance cold tolerance in this significant crop.

Highlights

The temperature threshold for optimum growth during the development process has gained much attention during the past few decades as most of the crops are being cultivated outside their optimal growth environments to meet food supply demand [1]
Much work has been done to understand the biological mechanisms behind cold tolerance [8,9,10], there is a lack of studies addressing the metabolic responses resulting in increased/decreased tolerance levels in maize
The metabolic changes associated with cold tolerance in two maize inbred lines (B144; cold-tolerant and Q319; cold-susceptible) were studied using leaf samples from control and cold stressed plants based on the mass spectrography (UPLC-MS/MS) technology

Summary

Introduction

The temperature threshold for optimum growth during the development process has gained much attention during the past few decades as most of the crops are being cultivated outside their optimal growth environments to meet food supply demand [1]. Maize is mainly considered a cold-sensitive crop, with a variable threshold for different growth stages [2]. The lowest acceptable temperature for germination is considered 5 ◦ C, a decrease in temperature below 10 ◦ C delayed the emergence and germination process resulting in an increased growth period and reduced yield [3]. Early sowing is recommended for a maize crop to avoid high temperatures during the late growth stages [5]. Chilling susceptibility in maize crop is one of the major concerns for optimum yield, which is drastically reduced when the plant is subjected to early-stage cold stress [6,7]. Much work has been done to understand the biological mechanisms behind cold tolerance [8,9,10], there is a lack of studies addressing the metabolic responses resulting in increased/decreased tolerance levels in maize

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