Multi‐omics integration analysis reveals the molecular mechanisms of drought adaptation in homologous tetraploid alfalfa(Medicago sativa ‘Xinjiang‐Daye’)

Abstract

Drought stress is a predominant abiotic factor leading to decreased alfalfa yield. Genomic ploidy differences contribute to varying adaptation mechanisms of different alfalfa cultivars to drought conditions. This study employed a multi‐omics approach to characterize the molecular basis of drought tolerance in a tetraploid variant of alfalfa (Medicago sativa, Xinjiang‐Daye). Under drought treatment, a total of 4446 genes, 859 proteins, and 524 metabolites showed significant differences in abundance. Integrative analysis of the multi‐omics data revealed that regulatory modules involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signalling transduction, linoleic acid metabolism, and amino acid biosynthesis play crucial roles in alfalfa adaptation to drought stress. The severity of drought led to the substantial accumulation of flavonoids, plant hormones, free fatty acids, amino acids, and their derivatives in the leaves. Genes such as PAL, 4CL, CHI, CHS, PP2C, ARF_3, and AHP_4 play pivotal regulatory roles in flavonoid biosynthesis and hormone signalling pathways. Differential expression of the LOX gene emerged as a key factor in the elevated levels of free fatty acids. Upregulation of P5CS_1 and GOT1/2 contributed significantly to the accumulation of Pro and Phe contents. ERF19 emerged as a principal positive regulator governing the synthesis of the aforementioned compounds. Furthermore, observations suggest that Xinjiang‐Daye alfalfa may exhibit widespread post‐transcriptional regulatory mechanisms in adapting to drought stress. The study findings unveil the critical mechanisms by which Xinjiang‐Daye alfalfa adapts to drought stress, offering novel insights for the improvement of alfalfa germplasm resources.