Abstract
Drought-induced leaf senescence is associated with high sugar levels, which bears some resemblance to the syndrome of diabetes in humans; however, the underlying mechanisms of such 'plant diabetes' on carbon imbalance and the corresponding detoxification strategy are not well understood. Here, we investigated the regulatory mechanism of exogenous methylglyoxal (MG) on 'plant diabetes' in maize plants under drought stress applied via foliar spraying during the grain-filling stage. Exogenous MG delayed leaf senescence and promoted photoassimilation, thereby reducing the yield loss induced by drought by 14%. Transcriptome and metabolite analyses revealed that drought increased sugar accumulation in leaves through inhibition of sugar transporters that facilitate phloem loading. This led to disequilibrium of glycolysis and overaccumulation of endogenous MG. Application of exogenous MG up-regulated glycolytic flux and the glyoxalase system that catabolyses endogenous MG and glycation end-products, ultimately alleviating 'plant diabetes'. In addition, the expression of genes facilitating anabolism and catabolism of trehalose-6-phosphate was promoted and suppressed by drought, respectively, and exogenous MG reversed this effect, implying that trehalose-6-phosphate signaling in the mediation of 'plant diabetes'. Furthermore, exogenous MG activated the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway, promoting the production of lignin and phenolic compounds, which are associated with drought tolerance. Overall, our findings indicate that exogenous MG activates defense-related pathways to alleviate the toxicity derived from 'plant diabetes', thereby helping to maintain leaf function and yield production under drought.
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Claims 8
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous MG delayed leaf senescence and promoted photoassimilation under drought.
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Exogenous MG delayed leaf senescence and promoted photoassimilation, thereby reducing the yield loss induced by drought by 14%.”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous MG reduced drought induced yield loss by 14%.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“reducing the yield loss induced by drought by 14%.”
t0“maize”
t1“Exogenous MG”
Claim · model-written summary
Drought increased sugar accumulation in leaves through inhibited sugar transporters.
- Treatment
- droughte0
- Outcome
- sugar accumulation in leavese0
- Direction
- increasede0
- Qualifier
- inhibition of sugar transporterse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“drought increased sugar accumulation in leaves through inhibition of sugar transporters that facilitate phloem loading.”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Drought led to glycolysis disequilibrium and endogenous MG overaccumulation.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This led to disequilibrium of glycolysis and overaccumulation of endogenous MG.”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous MG upregulated glycolytic flux and the glyoxalase system.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Application of exogenous MG up-regulated glycolytic flux and the glyoxalase system that catabolyses endogenous MG and glycation end-products”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Drought promoted trehalose-6-phosphate anabolic gene expression and suppressed catabolic gene expression.
- Treatment
- droughte0
- Outcome
- expression of genes facilitating anabolism and catabolism of trehalose-6-phosphatee0
- Direction
- promoted and suppressede0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the expression of genes facilitating anabolism and catabolism of trehalose-6-phosphate was promoted and suppressed by drought, respectively”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous MG reversed drought effects on trehalose-6-phosphate related genes.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“exogenous MG reversed this effect, implying that trehalose-6-phosphate signaling in the mediation of 'plant diabetes'.”
t0“maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Exogenous MG activated phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and promoted lignin and phenolic compounds.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“exogenous MG activated the phenylpropanoid biosynthetic pathway, promoting the production of lignin and phenolic compounds, which are associated with drought tolerance.”
t0“maize”