Abstract
White-flowered alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) persisting in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau’s saline–alkali habitats provides a unique model to explore floral color polymorphism-linked ecological adaptation. We systematically compared phenotypic, physiological, transcriptomic, and metabolomic profiles of white-flowered (WF) and purple-flowered (PF) alfalfa under high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditions (three biological replicates; Student’s t-test). WF showed a significant growth-defense trade-off: flower size and chlorophyll a content decreased by 18.9% and 46.0%, with reduced gibberellin levels, while jasmonic acid (36.3%), proline (51.5%), antioxidant enzyme activities, total flavonoids (17.7%), and condensed tannins (18.2%) were significantly increased (p < 0.001). Multi-omics analysis revealed phenylpropanoid pathway reprogramming (suppressed anthocyanin biosynthesis, precursor accumulation) and coordinated hormone signaling (jasmonic acid activation, salicylic acid inhibition). Our findings confirm the white-flower trait is not an isolated mutation. It is a key component of a coordinated adaptive syndrome, mediated by metabolic reprogramming and hormonal crosstalk. These results provide theoretical and technical support for breeding stress-resistant alfalfa varieties suitable for marginal land cultivation.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Flower size of white-flowered alfalfa decreased by 18.9% relative to purple-flowered alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfa
Medicago sativae0 - Material
- WFe0
- Outcome
- flower sizee1
- Direction
- decreasede1
- Value
- 18.9%e1
- Comparator
- purple-flowered (PF)e0
- Setting
- high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“white-flowered (WF) and purple-flowered (PF) alfalfa under high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditions”
e1“WF showed a significant growth-defense trade-off: flower size and chlorophyll a content decreased by 18.9% and 46.0%”
Claim · model-written summary
Chlorophyll a content of white-flowered alfalfa decreased by 46.0% relative to purple-flowered alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Material
- WFe0
- Outcome
- chlorophyll a contente1
- Direction
- decreasede1
- Value
- 46.0%e1
- Comparator
- purple-flowered (PF)e0
- Setting
- high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“white-flowered (WF) and purple-flowered (PF) alfalfa under high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditions”
e1“WF showed a significant growth-defense trade-off: flower size and chlorophyll a content decreased by 18.9% and 46.0%”
Claim · model-written summary
Gibberellin levels were reduced in white-flowered alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Material
- WFe0
- Outcome
- gibberellin levelse1
- Direction
- reducede1
- Comparator
- purple-flowered (PF)e0
- Setting
- high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“white-flowered (WF) and purple-flowered (PF) alfalfa under high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditions”
e1“with reduced gibberellin levels”
Claim · model-written summary
Jasmonic acid increased by 36.3% in white-flowered alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Material
- WFe0
- Outcome
- jasmonic acide1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 36.3%e1
- Comparator
- purple-flowered (PF)e0
- Setting
- high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“white-flowered (WF) and purple-flowered (PF) alfalfa under high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditions”
e1“while jasmonic acid (36.3%), proline (51.5%), antioxidant enzyme activities, total flavonoids (17.7%), and condensed tannins (18.2%) were significantly increased (p < 0.001)”
Claim · model-written summary
Proline increased by 51.5% in white-flowered alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Material
- WFe0
- Outcome
- prolinee1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 51.5%e1
- Comparator
- purple-flowered (PF)e0
- Setting
- high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“white-flowered (WF) and purple-flowered (PF) alfalfa under high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditions”
e1“while jasmonic acid (36.3%), proline (51.5%), antioxidant enzyme activities, total flavonoids (17.7%), and condensed tannins (18.2%) were significantly increased (p < 0.001)”
Claim · model-written summary
Antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly increased in white-flowered alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Material
- WFe0
- Outcome
- antioxidant enzyme activitiese1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Comparator
- purple-flowered (PF)e0
- Setting
- high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“white-flowered (WF) and purple-flowered (PF) alfalfa under high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditions”
e1“while jasmonic acid (36.3%), proline (51.5%), antioxidant enzyme activities, total flavonoids (17.7%), and condensed tannins (18.2%) were significantly increased (p < 0.001)”
Claim · model-written summary
Total flavonoids increased by 17.7% in white-flowered alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Material
- WFe0
- Outcome
- total flavonoidse1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 17.7%e1
- Comparator
- purple-flowered (PF)e0
- Setting
- high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“white-flowered (WF) and purple-flowered (PF) alfalfa under high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditions”
e1“while jasmonic acid (36.3%), proline (51.5%), antioxidant enzyme activities, total flavonoids (17.7%), and condensed tannins (18.2%) were significantly increased (p < 0.001)”
Claim · model-written summary
Condensed tannins increased by 18.2% in white-flowered alfalfa.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Material
- WFe0
- Outcome
- condensed tanninse1
- Direction
- increasede1
- Value
- 18.2%e1
- Comparator
- purple-flowered (PF)e0
- Setting
- high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditionse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“white-flowered (WF) and purple-flowered (PF) alfalfa under high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditions”
e1“while jasmonic acid (36.3%), proline (51.5%), antioxidant enzyme activities, total flavonoids (17.7%), and condensed tannins (18.2%) were significantly increased (p < 0.001)”
Claim · model-written summary
Multi-omics analysis revealed phenylpropanoid pathway reprogramming in white-flowered alfalfa, with suppressed anthocyanin biosynthesis and precursor accumulation.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Material
- WFe0
- Outcome
- phenylpropanoid pathway reprogramminge1
- Qualifier
- suppressed anthocyanin biosynthesis, precursor accumulatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“white-flowered (WF) and purple-flowered (PF) alfalfa under high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditions”
e1“Multi-omics analysis revealed phenylpropanoid pathway reprogramming (suppressed anthocyanin biosynthesis, precursor accumulation)”
Claim · model-written summary
Jasmonic acid signaling was activated in white-flowered alfalfa as part of coordinated hormone signaling.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Material
- WFe0
- Outcome
- jasmonic acid activatione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“white-flowered (WF) and purple-flowered (PF) alfalfa under high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditions”
e1“coordinated hormone signaling (jasmonic acid activation, salicylic acid inhibition)”
Claim · model-written summary
Salicylic acid signaling was inhibited in white-flowered alfalfa as part of coordinated hormone signaling.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Material
- WFe0
- Outcome
- salicylic acid inhibitione1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“white-flowered (WF) and purple-flowered (PF) alfalfa under high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditions”
e1“coordinated hormone signaling (jasmonic acid activation, salicylic acid inhibition)”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors conclude the white-flower trait is a key component of a coordinated adaptive syndrome mediated by metabolic reprogramming and hormonal crosstalk.
- Taxon
- alfalfaMedicago sativae0
- Material
- WFe0
- Outcome
- coordinated adaptive syndromee1
- Qualifier
- mediated by metabolic reprogramming and hormonal crosstalke1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“white-flowered (WF) and purple-flowered (PF) alfalfa under high-altitude cold/saline–alkali field conditions”
e1“It is a key component of a coordinated adaptive syndrome, mediated by metabolic reprogramming and hormonal crosstalk”