Recently, a research paper entitled “Integrated transcriptome and metabolome analysis revealed differential drought stress response mechanisms of wheat seedlings with varying drought tolerance” was published by the wheat breeding laboratory of the Institute of Cereal and Oil Crops of HAAFS in BMC Plant Biology, a top journal in zone 2 of agriculture and forestry sciences.

This study analyzed the transcriptome and metabolome of three types of wheat seedlings with different drought tolerance under drought stress. The results indicated that although wheat seedlings with different drought tolerance had partially similar drought stress response mechanisms, there were significant differences in the biosynthesis and metabolic pathways of flavonoids and phenolic acids. The integrated analysis of metabolomics and transcriptomics demonstrated that under drought stress, the metabolites and genes (HCT, FLS, CHS and F3 '5'H) related to the biosynthesis of flavonoids and phenolic acids in drought-tolerant materials were significantly upregulated.In conclusion, flavonoids and phenolic acids are related to the drought tolerance of wheat seedlings. The differential expression of their biosynthesis-related metabolites and genes may be the key factors leading to the differences in drought tolerance of wheat seedlings.

Drought is the main factor leading to the reduction of wheat yield and quality. This study not only enhance our understanding of the drought response mechanisms of different drought-tolerant wheat seedlings, but also provide theoretical basis and genetic resources for breeding drought-tolerant wheat varieties through molecular breeding techniques.

Dr. GUO Xiaorui and Researcher LV Liangjie from the breeding laboratory of wheat center of Institute of Cereal and Oil Crops are the first authors of the paper.

Link of this paper:https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06603-w

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