Physiological and transcriptomic analyses reveal the mechanisms of clonal integration in Leymus chinensis supporting daughter ramets under alkali stress
Abstract
Leymus chinensis is a typical clonal plant and dominant species in alkalized grasslands of northern China. It has been verified that clonal integration mediates alkali stress tolerance of this species via supporting mother ramets to daughter ramets, but the mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated physiological and transcriptomic responses of mother ramets and daughter ramets (integration and cutting) of L. chinensis under alkali stress, with a focus on the role of clonal integration in enhancing stress tolerance in daughter ramets. Physiological analyses revealed that under alkali stress, compared with cutting treatments, clonal integration enhanced photosynthetic capacity, reduced Na+ accumulation, and maintained K+ homeostasis in daughter ramets. In contrast, integrated mother ramets exhibited enhanced Na+ toxicity, decreased photosynthesis, and increased oxidative damage, suggesting a resource reallocation strategy prioritizing daughter ramet survival. In addition, transcriptomic analyses elucidated the underlying molecular basis. Compared with control groups, alkali stress strongly enhanced the upregulation of 57 sugar metabolism and 19 glycolysis genes, 15 ion homeostasis genes, 100 ROS-scavenging-related genes (including 4CL, PAL, and POD), and 26 ethylene signaling genes in integrated daughter ramets. Crucially, compared with their respective controls, these key genes remained unchanged or downregulated in cutting daughter ramets under alkali stress. This integration-driven activation systematically supported energy assimilation, stable Na+/K+ balance, antioxidant defense, and stress alleviation. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that clonal integration in L. chinensis functions as a protective mechanism for daughter ramets under alkali stress through coordinated regulation of photosynthetic maintenance, ion homeostasis, antioxidant defense, and hormone signaling.
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BibTeX
@article{zhao2026physiological,
title = {{Physiological and transcriptomic analyses reveal the mechanisms of clonal integration in Leymus chinensis supporting daughter ramets under alkali stress}},
author = {Shuting Zhao and Yuzhuo Yan and Feisal Mohamed Osman and Jialin Zhang and Honglin Yuan and Xinxuan Zou and Honghong Zhang and Li Tian and Lei Han and Chunwu Yang and Xiangzheng Liao and Huan Wang},
journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3389/fpls.2026.1959964},
url = {https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1959964},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Physiological and transcriptomic analyses reveal the mechanisms of clonal integration in Leymus chinensis supporting daughter ramets under alkali stress
AU - Shuting Zhao
AU - Yuzhuo Yan
AU - Feisal Mohamed Osman
AU - Jialin Zhang
AU - Honglin Yuan
AU - Xinxuan Zou
AU - Honghong Zhang
AU - Li Tian
AU - Lei Han
AU - Chunwu Yang
AU - Xiangzheng Liao
AU - Huan Wang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/09
JO - Frontiers in Plant Science
DO - 10.3389/fpls.2026.1959964
UR - https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2026.1959964
AB - Leymus chinensis is a typical clonal plant and dominant species in alkalized grasslands of northern China. It has been verified that clonal integration mediates alkali stress tolerance of this species via supporting mother ramets to daughter ramets, but the mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, we investigated physiological and transcriptomic responses of mother ramets and daughter ramets (integration and cutting) of L. chinensis under alkali stress, with a focus on the role of clonal integration in enhancing stress tolerance in daughter ramets. Physiological analyses revealed that under alkali stress, compared with cutting treatments, clonal integration enhanced photosynthetic capacity, reduced Na+ accumulation, and maintained K+ homeostasis in daughter ramets. In contrast, integrated mother ramets exhibited enhanced Na+ toxicity, decreased photosynthesis, and increased oxidative damage, suggesting a resource reallocation strategy prioritizing daughter ramet survival. In addition, transcriptomic analyses elucidated the underlying molecular basis. Compared with control groups, alkali stress strongly enhanced the upregulation of 57 sugar metabolism and 19 glycolysis genes, 15 ion homeostasis genes, 100 ROS-scavenging-related genes (including 4CL, PAL, and POD), and 26 ethylene signaling genes in integrated daughter ramets. Crucially, compared with their respective controls, these key genes remained unchanged or downregulated in cutting daughter ramets under alkali stress. This integration-driven activation systematically supported energy assimilation, stable Na+/K+ balance, antioxidant defense, and stress alleviation. Collectively, these findings demonstrated that clonal integration in L. chinensis functions as a protective mechanism for daughter ramets under alkali stress through coordinated regulation of photosynthetic maintenance, ion homeostasis, antioxidant defense, and hormone signaling.
SN - 1664-462X
ER -