Molecular mechanism of drought resistance in oat roots revealed using integrated physiological and multi-omics analyses.
- 1Pratacultural College, Gansu Agricultural University, No. 1, Anning District, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730070, People's Republic of China.
- 2Pratacultural College, Gansu Agricultural University, No. 1, Anning District, Lanzhou, Gansu Province, 730070, People's Republic of China. [email protected].
Abstract
Background
Oat (Avena sativa L.), a key forage crop, is highly susceptible to water deficit. Many studies have elucidated the mechanisms through which oat leaves respond to drought; however, little is known about these mechanisms in roots.Results
We compared the physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolomic responses of a drought-tolerant oat cultivar (DA92-2F6, D) and a drought-sensitive cultivar (Longyan No.3, L3) at 0, 6, 24, and 72 h under PEG-induced drought stress. We found that drought stress caused significant increases in malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) levels, with the most pronounced accumulation observed in L3. D varieties maintained significantly higher antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, POD, SOD, APX; P < 0.05), which causes variations in drought resistance. Additionally, differences in gene expression and drought-resistance pathways between the two varieties were clarified using transcriptome analysis. Through a multi-omics joint analysis, flavonoid biosynthesis and plant hormone signals were identified as the core drought resistance pathways in oat roots. Candidate genes associated with drought response included CHS, C4H, SHT, CYP98A3, FLS, and CHIL (flavonoid biosynthesis); and AUX/IAA, GH3, B-ARR, DELLA, PP2C, SnRK2, JAZ, MYC2, CPK, and GS2 (hormone signaling). Candidate indicator metabolites (phlorizin, naringenin, sakuranetin, pinobanksin) affecting drought resistance were identified. In addition, exogenous phlorizin effectively enhanced the drought response of the sensitive genotype L3.Conclusions
This study provides useful data for investigating drought responses in plant root and offers theoretical support for plant breeding for drought resistance.
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BibTeX
@article{huang2026molecular,
title = {{Molecular mechanism of drought resistance in oat roots revealed using integrated physiological and multi-omics analyses.}},
author = {Panpan Huang and Jikuan Chai and Kuiju Niu and Liang Zeng and Wenping Wang and Yanming Ma and Yanan Cao and Guiqin Zhao},
journal = {BMC plant biology},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1186/s12870-026-09663-8},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42967995},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Molecular mechanism of drought resistance in oat roots revealed using integrated physiological and multi-omics analyses.
AU - Panpan Huang
AU - Jikuan Chai
AU - Kuiju Niu
AU - Liang Zeng
AU - Wenping Wang
AU - Yanming Ma
AU - Yanan Cao
AU - Guiqin Zhao
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/05
JO - BMC plant biology
DO - 10.1186/s12870-026-09663-8
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42967995
AB - Background Oat (Avena sativa L.), a key forage crop, is highly susceptible to water deficit. Many studies have elucidated the mechanisms through which oat leaves respond to drought; however, little is known about these mechanisms in roots.Results We compared the physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolomic responses of a drought-tolerant oat cultivar (DA92-2F6, D) and a drought-sensitive cultivar (Longyan No.3, L3) at 0, 6, 24, and 72 h under PEG-induced drought stress. We found that drought stress caused significant increases in malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) levels, with the most pronounced accumulation observed in L3. D varieties maintained significantly higher antioxidant enzyme activities (CAT, POD, SOD, APX; P < 0.05), which causes variations in drought resistance. Additionally, differences in gene expression and drought-resistance pathways between the two varieties were clarified using transcriptome analysis. Through a multi-omics joint analysis, flavonoid biosynthesis and plant hormone signals were identified as the core drought resistance pathways in oat roots. Candidate genes associated with drought response included CHS, C4H, SHT, CYP98A3, FLS, and CHIL (flavonoid biosynthesis); and AUX/IAA, GH3, B-ARR, DELLA, PP2C, SnRK2, JAZ, MYC2, CPK, and GS2 (hormone signaling). Candidate indicator metabolites (phlorizin, naringenin, sakuranetin, pinobanksin) affecting drought resistance were identified. In addition, exogenous phlorizin effectively enhanced the drought response of the sensitive genotype L3.Conclusions This study provides useful data for investigating drought responses in plant root and offers theoretical support for plant breeding for drought resistance.
SN - 1471-2229
ER -