Comparative physiological and coexpression network analyses reveal the potential drought tolerance mechanism of peanut

• Published in: BMC plant biology 2022-09, Vol.22 (1), p.1-460, Article 460
• Main Authors: Ren, Jingyao, Guo, Pei, Zhang, He, Shi, Xiaolong, Ai, Xin, Wang, Jing, Jiang, Chunji, Zhao, Xinhua, Liu, Xibo, Yu, Haiqiu
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Agricultural research; Aspartic proteinase; Chlorophyll; Corn; Crops; Drought; Drought resistance; Drought stress; Environmental impact; Flavonoids; Gene expression; Genes; Genetic aspects; Genomes; Hardiness; Kinases; Metabolism; Network analysis; Nuts; O2 •− /TBARs accumulation; Peanut; Peanuts; Photochemistry; Photosynthesis; Physiological aspects; Physiological responses; Physiology; Plant growth; Plants; Potassium; Potassium transporter; Protein kinase; Protein kinases; Protein transport; Proteinase; Proteins; Regulatory mechanisms (biology); Stress; Tolerances; Transcriptional regulation; Ubiquitin; Ubiquitin-protein ligase; WGCNA
• ISSN: 1471-2229; 1471-2229
• DOI: 10.1186/s12870-022-03848-7

Drought stress has negative effects on plant growth and productivity. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of physiological responses and gene expression was performed. The responses and expressions were compared between drought-tolerant (DT) and drought-sensitive (DS) peanut varieties to investigate the regulatory mechanisms and hub genes involved in the impact of drought stress on culture. The drought-tolerant variety had robust antioxidative capacities with higher total antioxidant capacity and flavonoid contents, and it enhanced osmotic adjustment substance accumulation to adapt to drought conditions. KEGG analysis of differentially expressed genes demonstrated that photosynthesis was strongly affected by drought stress, especially in the drought-sensitive variety, which was consistent with the more severe suppression of photosynthesis. The hub genes in the key modules related to the drought response, including genes encoding protein kinase, E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase, potassium transporter, pentatricopeptide repeat-containing protein, and aspartic proteinase, were identified through a comprehensive combined analysis of genes and physiological traits using weighted gene co-expression network analysis. There were notably differentially expressed genes between the two varieties, suggesting the positive roles of these genes in peanut drought tolerance. A comprehensive analysis of physiological traits and relevant genes was conducted on peanuts with different drought tolerances. The findings revealed diverse drought-response mechanisms and identified candidate genes for further research.