Root metabolites remodeling regulated by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) improves adaptability to high temperature in creeping bentgrass

• Published in: Plant and soil Vol. 500; no. 1-2; pp. 181 - 195
• Main Authors: Li, Zhou, Zhou, Min, Zeng, Weihang, Zhang, Yan, Liu, Lin, Liu, Wei, Peng, Yan
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cham Springer International Publishing 01.07.2024; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adaptability; Agriculture; Amino acids; Antioxidants; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Cell membranes; Cellular structure; Climate change; Damage accumulation; Ecology; Emissions; Energy metabolism; Enzymatic activity; Extreme heat; Global warming; Greenhouse effect; Greenhouse gases; Heat; Heat stress; Heat tolerance; High temperature; Life Sciences; Metabolism; Metabolites; Metabolomics; Organic acids; Plant Physiology; Plant Sciences; Putrescine; Reactive oxygen species; Research Article; Roots; Soil Science & Conservation; Temperature effects; Urea; γ-Aminobutyric acid; Antioxidant capacity; Carbohydrates; Root vitality; Metabolic pathway; Osmotic adjustment; Organic acid
• ISSN: 0032-079X; 1573-5036
• DOI: 10.1007/s11104-023-05905-y

Aims Global warming due to increasing greenhouse gas emissions intensifies frequency and duration of extreme high temperature which has become a primary threat to cool-season crops worldwide. Aim of this study was to examine root adaptability to high temperature regulated by γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) associated with changes in antioxidant metabolism, root vitality, osmotic balance, and global metabolites remodeling in roots. Methods A cool-season creeping bentgrass ( Agrostis stolonifera ) plants were pretreated with or without the 0.5 mM GABA before being subjected to heat stress (35/30 °C) or optimal temperature condition (23/19 °C) for 15 days. Roots were sampled to analyze changes in physiological parameters and metabolomics. Results Heat stress significantly induced reactive oxygen species production in roots resulting in oxidative damage to proteins and cell membranes. However, the GABA could effectively alleviate heat-induced decline in total antioxidant capacity and also improve multiple antioxidant enzyme activities, root vitality, and osmotic adjustment ability in roots. Metabolomic analysis found that a total of 71 metabolites were jointly or differentially regulated by heat stress or heat stress together with the GABA application in roots. In response to heat stress, the GABA improved the accumulation of multiple amino acids, sugars, organic acids, and other metabolites (urea, putrescine, myoinositol, arbutin, campesterol, and stigmasterol) in roots. Conclusions GABA could effectively increase antioxidant capacity, root vitality, and osmotic adjustment associated with improved root adaptability to heat stress. In addition, the GABA-regulated metabolites remodeling could be attributed to better energy metabolism, osmotic balance, antioxidant capacity, and cellular structures in roots under heat stress.