Abstract
Abstract Background Salt stress is a major environmental factor limiting plant growth and productivity. Plants have developed diverse physiological and molecular strategies to adapt to saline conditions. Gardenia jasminoides , a dual-purpose plant with significant economic value in medicine and landscaping, exhibits notable salt tolerance, but the underlying molecular mechanisms remain largely unexplored. Our study aims to elucidate the physiological and molecular adaptive strategies of this plant to salt stress by integrating physiological measurements and transcriptomic analysis. Results RNA-seq profiling of G. jasminoides leaves, which were subjected to four NaCl concentrations (0, 50, 100, and 200 mmol·L⁻¹) for 15 days, identified 3,883 differentially expressed genes (DEGs). These DEGs were mainly associated with calcium signaling, MAPK–WRKY cascades, antioxidant defense, and phytohormone regulation. Physiological analysis revealed that prolonged stress caused structural damage to the photosynthetic apparatus, evidenced by a significant decline in F v / F m and an increase in F o at Day 15. These changes mirrored transcriptional reprogramming: peroxidase (POD) activity and related genes were strongly induced, catalase (CAT) activity was repressed, and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased under severe stress. Osmotic adjustment displayed stress-dependent patterns, with proline accumulation peaking under moderate stress and soluble proteins under severe stress. Network analysis highlighted a hierarchical regulatory system, where calcium signaling and MAPK cascades coordinated antioxidant defense and ion homeostasis. Key salt-responsive regulators, including CaM/CML , CDPK , WRKY22/29 , and glutathione S-transferase ( GST ) family members, were proposed as central nodes integrating Ca²⁺ influx, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, MAPK activation, and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. Conclusions Our findings reveal a hierarchical regulatory network that fine-tunes ROS homeostasis, osmotic balance, and stress signaling in G. jasminoides . Salt-responsive regulators such as WRKY transcription factors and GST family members represent promising targets for functional studies and molecular breeding aimed at enhancing salt tolerance in woody plants for ecological restoration and agricultural production.
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Claims 11
Claim · model-written summary
Salt exposed Gardenia leaves had 3,883 differentially expressed genes.
- Taxon
- G. jasminoides
Gardenia jasminoidese0 - Organ / stage
- leavese0
- Treatment
- four NaCl concentrations (0, 50, 100, and 200 mmol·L⁻¹) for 15 dayse0
- Outcome
- differentially expressed genes (DEGs)e0
- Value
- 3,883e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“RNA-seq profiling of G. jasminoides leaves, which were subjected to four NaCl concentrations (0, 50, 100, and 200 mmol·L⁻¹) for 15 days, identified 3,883 differentially expressed genes (DEGs).”
Claim · model-written summary
Differentially expressed genes were associated with calcium signaling, MAPK–WRKY cascades, and antioxidant and phytohormone regulation.
- Taxon
- Gardenia jasminoidesGardenia jasminoidest0
- Gene
- DEGse0
- Outcome
- calcium signaling, MAPK–WRKY cascades, antioxidant defense, and phytohormone regulatione0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These DEGs were mainly associated with calcium signaling, MAPK–WRKY cascades, antioxidant defense, and phytohormone regulation.”
t0“Gardenia jasminoides”
Claim · model-written summary
Prolonged salt stress significantly lowered F v / F m at Day 15.
- Taxon
- Gardenia jasminoidesGardenia jasminoidest0
- Treatment
- prolonged stresse0
- Outcome
- F v / F me0
- Direction
- declinee0
- Qualifier
- at Day 15e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Physiological analysis revealed that prolonged stress caused structural damage to the photosynthetic apparatus, evidenced by a significant decline in F v / F m and an increase in F o at Day 15.”
t0“Gardenia jasminoides”
Claim · model-written summary
Prolonged salt stress raised F o at Day 15.
- Taxon
- Gardenia jasminoidesGardenia jasminoidest0
- Treatment
- prolonged stresse0
- Outcome
- F oe0
- Direction
- increasee0
- Qualifier
- at Day 15e0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Physiological analysis revealed that prolonged stress caused structural damage to the photosynthetic apparatus, evidenced by a significant decline in F v / F m and an increase in F o at Day 15.”
t0“Gardenia jasminoides”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt stress strongly induced peroxidase activity and related genes.
- Taxon
- Gardenia jasminoidesGardenia jasminoidest0
- Treatment
- salt stresst1
- Outcome
- peroxidase (POD) activity and related genese0
- Direction
- inducede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“peroxidase (POD) activity and related genes were strongly induced”
t0“Gardenia jasminoides”
t1“salt stress”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt stress repressed catalase activity.
- Taxon
- Gardenia jasminoidesGardenia jasminoidest0
- Treatment
- salt stresst1
- Outcome
- catalase (CAT) activitye0
- Direction
- repressede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“catalase (CAT) activity was repressed”
t0“Gardenia jasminoides”
t1“salt stress”
Claim · model-written summary
Severe stress increased malondialdehyde levels.
- Taxon
- Gardenia jasminoidesGardenia jasminoidest0
- Treatment
- severe stresse0
- Outcome
- malondialdehyde (MDA) levelse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“malondialdehyde (MDA) levels increased under severe stress.”
t0“Gardenia jasminoides”
Claim · model-written summary
Proline accumulation peaked under moderate stress.
- Taxon
- Gardenia jasminoidesGardenia jasminoidest0
- Outcome
- proline accumulatione0
- Direction
- peakinge0
- Qualifier
- under moderate stresse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“proline accumulation peaking under moderate stress”
t0“Gardenia jasminoides”
Claim · model-written summary
Soluble proteins peaked under severe stress.
- Taxon
- Gardenia jasminoidesGardenia jasminoidest0
- Outcome
- soluble proteinse0
- Qualifier
- under severe stresse0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“soluble proteins under severe stress”
t0“Gardenia jasminoides”
Claim · model-written summary
Network analysis implicated calcium signaling and MAPK cascades in coordinating antioxidant defense and ion homeostasis.
- Taxon
- Gardenia jasminoidesGardenia jasminoidest0
- Outcome
- antioxidant defense and ion homeostasise0
- Qualifier
- calcium signaling and MAPK cascadese0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Network analysis highlighted a hierarchical regulatory system, where calcium signaling and MAPK cascades coordinated antioxidant defense and ion homeostasis.”
t0“Gardenia jasminoides”
Claim · model-written summary
CaM/CML, CDPK, WRKY22/29, and GST members were proposed as central salt response nodes.
- Taxon
- Gardenia jasminoidesGardenia jasminoidest0
- Gene
- CaM/CML , CDPK , WRKY22/29 , and glutathione S-transferase ( GST ) family memberse0
- Outcome
- central nodes integrating Ca²⁺ influx, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, MAPK activation, and abscisic acid (ABA) signalinge0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“Key salt-responsive regulators, including CaM/CML , CDPK , WRKY22/29 , and glutathione S-transferase ( GST ) family members, were proposed as central nodes integrating Ca²⁺ influx, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, MAPK activation, and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling.”
t0“Gardenia jasminoides”