Abstract
In real-life scenarios, plants are often exposed to biotic and abiotic stresses simultaneously; it is crucial to understand how they respond to single and combined stresses. This study explored the physiological and molecular responses of two contrasting alfalfa varieties, Gabes-2353 (tolerant) and Magna-601 (sensitive), to salinity and/or Ascochyta medicaginicola infection. Both varieties exhibited reductions in stem length, leaf relative water content, and chlorophyll content, with a greater decrease in Magna-601. Label-free LC‒MS/MS analysis identified 128 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) between the two varieties, of which 14, 60, and 70 proteins were differentially regulated under salinity, Pm8 infection, and combined stresses, respectively. Gene Ontology analyses revealed that Gabes-2353 activated photosynthesis, metabolism, redox balance, and immune pathways, while Magna-601 disrupted carbohydrate metabolism. Pm8 infection induced immune pathways in both varieties, with antioxidant and metabolic proteins expressed in Gabes-2353, while protease inhibitors and defense proteins were expressed in Magna-601. Under combined stress, Gabes-2353 upregulated proteins associated with synergistic integration of metabolic and immune pathways. In contrast, Magna-601 activated broad stress-signaling responses but inhibited primary metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, and vitamin metabolism. The PPI and KEGG analyses identified 7-O-methyltransferase as a central hub in Gabes-2353, while Magna-601’s PPI network focused on starch mobilization, reflecting differential adaptation strategies.
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Claims 15
Claim · model-written summary
Salinity and/or infection reduced stem length, leaf water content and chlorophyll in both varieties, more in Magna-601.
- Material
- Magna-601e0
- Outcome
- stem length, leaf relative water content, and chlorophyll contente0
- Direction
- reductionse0
Not reportedTaxonTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“Both varieties exhibited reductions in stem length, leaf relative water content, and chlorophyll content, with a greater decrease in Magna-601”
Claim · model-written summary
Proteomics found 128 differentially abundant proteins between the varieties.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“identified 128 differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) between the two varieties”
Claim · model-written summary
Fourteen proteins were differentially regulated under salinity.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“14, 60, and 70 proteins were differentially regulated under salinity, Pm8 infection, and combined stresses, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Sixty proteins were differentially regulated under Pm8 infection.
- Treatment
- Pm8 infectione0
- Interactor
- Pm8e0pathogen
- Outcome
- proteins were differentially regulatede0
- Value
- 60e0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“14, 60, and 70 proteins were differentially regulated under salinity, Pm8 infection, and combined stresses, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Seventy proteins were differentially regulated under combined stress.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“14, 60, and 70 proteins were differentially regulated under salinity, Pm8 infection, and combined stresses, respectively”
Claim · model-written summary
Gabes-2353 activated photosynthesis, metabolism, redox and immune pathways.
- Material
- Gabes-2353e0
- Outcome
- photosynthesis, metabolism, redox balance, and immune pathwayse0
- Direction
- activatede0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Gabes-2353 activated photosynthesis, metabolism, redox balance, and immune pathways”
Claim · model-written summary
Magna-601 disrupted carbohydrate metabolism.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Magna-601 disrupted carbohydrate metabolism”
Claim · model-written summary
Pm8 infection induced immune pathways in both varieties.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Pm8 infection induced immune pathways in both varieties”
Claim · model-written summary
Gabes-2353 expressed antioxidant and metabolic proteins after infection.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“antioxidant and metabolic proteins expressed in Gabes-2353”
Claim · model-written summary
Magna-601 expressed protease inhibitors and defense proteins after infection.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“protease inhibitors and defense proteins were expressed in Magna-601”
Claim · model-written summary
Under combined stress, Gabes-2353 upregulated proteins for metabolic and immune integration.
- Material
- Gabes-2353e0
- Treatment
- combined stresse0
- Outcome
- proteins associated with synergistic integration of metabolic and immune pathwayse0
- Direction
- upregulatede0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Under combined stress, Gabes-2353 upregulated proteins associated with synergistic integration of metabolic and immune pathways”
Claim · model-written summary
Magna-601 activated broad stress signaling under combined stress.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Magna-601 activated broad stress-signaling responses”
Claim · model-written summary
Magna-601 inhibited primary, aminoacyl-tRNA and vitamin metabolism.
- Outcome
- primary metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, and vitamin metabolisme0
- Direction
- inhibitede0
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“inhibited primary metabolism, aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, and vitamin metabolism”
Claim · model-written summary
Network analysis placed 7-O-methyltransferase at the center in Gabes-2353.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“identified 7-O-methyltransferase as a central hub in Gabes-2353”
Claim · model-written summary
The Magna-601 PPI network focused on starch mobilization.
Not reportedTaxon
Verbatim
e0“Magna-601’s PPI network focused on starch mobilization”