Physiological, Transcriptomic, and Metabolic Responses of Ginkgo biloba L. to Drought, Salt, and Heat Stresses.

Bang Chang,Jiawen Cui,Biao Jin,Li Wang,Jinkai Lu,Kaibiao Ma,Zhaogeng Lu

doi:10.3390/biom10121635

Abstract

Ginkgo biloba L. is highly adaptable and resistant to a range of abiotic stressors, allowing its growth in various environments. However, it is unclear how G. biloba responds to common environmental stresses. We explored the physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolic responses of G. biloba to short-term drought, salt, and heat stresses. Proline, H2O2, and ABA contents, along with CAT activity, increased under all three types of stress. SOD activity increased under salt and heat stresses, while soluble protein and IAA contents decreased under drought and salt stresses. With respect to metabolites, D-glyceric acid increased in response to drought and salt stresses, whereas isomaltose 1, oxalamide, and threonine 2 increased under drought. Piceatannol 2,4-hydroxybutyrate and 1,3-diaminopropane increased under salt stress, whereas 4-aminobutyric acid 1 and galactonic acid increased in response to heat stress. Genes regulating nitrogen assimilation were upregulated only under drought, while the GRAS gene was upregulated under all three types of stressors. ARF genes were downregulated under heat stress, whereas genes encoding HSF and SPL were upregulated. Additionally, we predicted that miR156, miR160, miR172, and their target genes participate in stress responses. Our study provides valuable data for studying the multilevel response to drought, salinity, and heat in G. biloba.

Highlights

Plants frequently experience adverse growth conditions, including drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures
We examined the effects of D, S, and H on the concentrations of soluble proteins, soluble sugars, proline, and H2O2 and the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD and CAT), abscisic acid (ABA), and IAA in leaves
Given that stomatal closure is correlated with ABA accumulation, G. biloba leaves may regulate stomatal closure via ABA accumulation to maintain water content under conditions of osmotic stress associated with drought and salt, thereby reducing damage from osmotic stress and improving tolerance to drought and salt

Summary

Introduction

Plants frequently experience adverse growth conditions, including drought, salinity, and extreme temperatures These stresses limit development primarily by affecting physiological and biochemical processes and cellular homeostasis. A range of protein kinases and transcription factors involved in stress signaling serve to regulate ionic and osmotic homeostasis [5]. Plants respond to different environmental stressors via a variety of pathways; different transcription factors may be involved in the responses to different types of stress. While such responses have been evaluated extensively and intensively in model species, studies on gymnosperms are lacking

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