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| Joint Analysis of Transcriptome and Metabolome of a Wheat(Triticum aestivum) Seed Dormancy Mutant |
| ZHU Sha-Sha1,2,*, LI Xing-Yan1,*, LI Xiao-Long1,2, HAN Yang1,2, DANG Meng-Yuan1,2, YANG Yan1,2,** |
1 College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot 010029, China;
2 Inner Mongolia Key Lab of Biomanufacturing Technology, Hohhot 010029, China |
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Abstract The dormancy characteristics of wheat(Triticum aestivum) seeds determine its germination uniformity after sowing and regulates pre-harvest sprouting resistance of grains at harvest. In this study, the wheat mutant 1813WH, previously generated by our research team with enhanced seed dormancy and antioxidant capacity as well as decreased energy metabolism, was used as experimental material. Integrated transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed on seeds at the waxy ripening stage; differentially expressed genes(DEGs) and differentially accumulated metabolites(DAMs) were screened based on multi-omics data, with subsequent verification of the associated pathways. The results showed that, compared with the wild type(WT), 1813WH showed altered expression of genes involved in nitrogen metabolism and differential accumulation of corresponding metabolites. Differentially expressed genes(DEGs) and differentially accumulated metabolites(DAMs) were enriched in pathways including arginine synthesis, amino acid metabolism, and plant hormone signaling. The relative content of the non-reducing sugar—sucrose was significantly higher in 1813WH than in the wild type(P<0.05), while the levels of reducing sugars including glucose-6-phosphate(G6P), fructose-1,6-bisphosphate(FBP), and fructose-6-phosphate(F6P), were significantly lower than in the wild type(P<0.05). In addition, the relative contents of jasmonic acid(Jasmonic acid, JA) and abscisic acid(abscisic acid, ABA) were lower in 1813WH than in WT, whereas the relative cytokinin content was higher than that in WT. These results indicated that the seeds of 1813WH actively inhibited core energy metabolism pathways such as the tricarboxylic acid(TCA) cycle at the waxy ripe stage, redirecting nitrogen resources toward the synthesis of polyamines and inert nitrogen compounds such as asparagine. It was hypothesized that the 1813WH mutant might regulate the core metabolic network, alter the carbon-nitrogen metabolic balance and internal hormone levels in wheat, thereby potentially optimize its growth and stress resistance strategies. Based on this, it is speculated that seeds might maintain deep dormancy through a "resource sequestration" strategy. This study provides a new theoretical basis for subsequent elucidation of its molecular mechanism and further regulation of wheat dormancy and pre-harvest sprouting resistance.
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Received: 14 January 2026
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Corresponding Authors:
**yangyanchutao@126.com
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