Hao Li , Hong-Rui Wang , Shu-Ying Wei, Rui-Quan Wang, Jiu-Jiu Zhao, Xiang Xiang, Peng Yang, Jing Li, Ting Wang, Jin liang Huang, Han Bo Yang, Xue-Qin Wan, Liang-Hua Chen, Fang He
{"title":"Trimethylamine-N-oxide enhances drought tolerance in Eucalyptus by increasing photosynthesis","authors":"Hao Li , Hong-Rui Wang , Shu-Ying Wei, Rui-Quan Wang, Jiu-Jiu Zhao, Xiang Xiang, Peng Yang, Jing Li, Ting Wang, Jin liang Huang, Han Bo Yang, Xue-Qin Wan, Liang-Hua Chen, Fang He","doi":"10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.109768","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Drought stress significantly reduces agricultural productivity, threatening global food security and timber production. Although trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) has been shown to enhance drought tolerance in plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and tomato, the physiological and molecular mechanisms by which it regulates drought tolerance in plants remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the physiological and transcriptomic changes in Eucalyptus under drought stress following exogenous TMAO treatment. Physiological analyses showed that TMAO treatment improved the drought resistance of Eucalyptus, and the optimal application concentration was 10 mM. Under drought stress, exogenous TMAO reduced the malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage in Eucalyptus leaves, and maintained the stability of the cell membrane. At the same time, TMAO maintained the stability of the photosynthetic electron transport chain and regulates stomatal aperture, which results in a 59% increase in the net photosynthetic efficiency of Eucalyptus under drought. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that TMAO activated pathways for phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and carbon metabolism, and influenced the drought resistance of Eucalyptus by regulating the expression of genes such as Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), photosystem II reaction center PSB28 protein (Psb28), and FTSH protease 1 (FTSH1), thereby mediating the growth and development of Eucalyptus and its adaptation to adverse conditions. The findings of this study provide an important theoretical basis for using exogenous substances to alleviate plant stress under drought conditions and lay the foundation for exploring the use of exogenous substances in forestry and agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":20234,"journal":{"name":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","volume":"222 ","pages":"Article 109768"},"PeriodicalIF":6.1000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Plant Physiology and Biochemistry","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0981942825002967","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"PLANT SCIENCES","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Drought stress significantly reduces agricultural productivity, threatening global food security and timber production. Although trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) has been shown to enhance drought tolerance in plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and tomato, the physiological and molecular mechanisms by which it regulates drought tolerance in plants remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the physiological and transcriptomic changes in Eucalyptus under drought stress following exogenous TMAO treatment. Physiological analyses showed that TMAO treatment improved the drought resistance of Eucalyptus, and the optimal application concentration was 10 mM. Under drought stress, exogenous TMAO reduced the malondialdehyde content and electrolyte leakage in Eucalyptus leaves, and maintained the stability of the cell membrane. At the same time, TMAO maintained the stability of the photosynthetic electron transport chain and regulates stomatal aperture, which results in a 59% increase in the net photosynthetic efficiency of Eucalyptus under drought. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that TMAO activated pathways for phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, photosynthesis, and carbon metabolism, and influenced the drought resistance of Eucalyptus by regulating the expression of genes such as Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL), photosystem II reaction center PSB28 protein (Psb28), and FTSH protease 1 (FTSH1), thereby mediating the growth and development of Eucalyptus and its adaptation to adverse conditions. The findings of this study provide an important theoretical basis for using exogenous substances to alleviate plant stress under drought conditions and lay the foundation for exploring the use of exogenous substances in forestry and agriculture.
期刊介绍:
Plant Physiology and Biochemistry publishes original theoretical, experimental and technical contributions in the various fields of plant physiology (biochemistry, physiology, structure, genetics, plant-microbe interactions, etc.) at diverse levels of integration (molecular, subcellular, cellular, organ, whole plant, environmental). Opinions expressed in the journal are the sole responsibility of the authors and publication does not imply the editors'' agreement.
Manuscripts describing molecular-genetic and/or gene expression data that are not integrated with biochemical analysis and/or actual measurements of plant physiological processes are not suitable for PPB. Also "Omics" studies (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc.) reporting descriptive analysis without an element of functional validation assays, will not be considered. Similarly, applied agronomic or phytochemical studies that generate no new, fundamental insights in plant physiological and/or biochemical processes are not suitable for publication in PPB.
Plant Physiology and Biochemistry publishes several types of articles: Reviews, Papers and Short Papers. Articles for Reviews are either invited by the editor or proposed by the authors for the editor''s prior agreement. Reviews should not exceed 40 typewritten pages and Short Papers no more than approximately 8 typewritten pages. The fundamental character of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry remains that of a journal for original results.