Table_1_Transcriptomic responses of oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) stem to waterlogging at plantation in relation to precipitation seasonality.xlsx

Global warming-induced climate change causes significant agricultural problems by increasing the incidence of drought and flooding events. Waterlogging is an inevitable consequence of these changes but its effects on oil palms have received little attention and are poorly understood. Recent waterlogging studies have focused on oil palm seedlings, with particular emphasis on phenology. However, the transcriptomic waterlogging response of mature oil palms remains elusive in real environments. We therefore investigated transcriptomic changes over time in adult oil palms at plantations over a two-year period with pronounced seasonal variation in precipitation. A significant transcriptional waterlogging response was observed in the oil palm stem core but not in leaf samples when gene expression was correlated with cumulative precipitation over two-day periods. Pathways and processes upregulated or enriched in the stem core response included hypoxia, ethylene signaling, and carbon metabolism. Post-waterlogging recovery in oil palms was found to be associated with responses to heat stress and carotenoid biosynthesis. Nineteen transcription factors (TFs) potentially involved in the waterlogging response of mature oil palms were also identified. These data provide new insights into the transcriptomic responses of planted oil palms to waterlogging and offer valuable guidance on the sensitivity of oil palm plantations to future climate changes.

全球变暖引发的气候变化通过提升干旱与洪涝事件的发生频次，造成了严重的农业问题。涝渍（waterlogging）是此类气候变化的必然产物，但当前学界对其影响油棕（oil palm）的相关机制关注甚少且认知不足。现有涝渍相关研究多聚焦于油棕幼苗，且重点集中于物候学（phenology）领域，然而真实环境下成熟油棕的涝渍转录组学响应（transcriptomic response）仍未被充分阐明。为此，本研究针对种植园中的成年油棕，在降水季节差异显著的两年周期内，对其随时间变化的转录组特征展开了追踪调查。当将基因表达与两日累积降水量进行关联分析时，研究人员在油棕茎芯（stem core）中观测到了显著的涝渍转录响应，而叶片样本并未出现此类变化。茎芯响应中上调或富集的通路与生物学过程包括低氧应答、乙烯信号传导及碳代谢。研究还发现，油棕涝渍后的恢复过程与热应激应答及类胡萝卜素生物合成（carotenoid biosynthesis）密切相关。此外，本研究共鉴定出19个可能参与成熟油棕涝渍响应的转录因子（transcription factors, TFs）。本研究数据为人工种植油棕的涝渍转录组学响应机制提供了全新视角，同时也为评估油棕种植园对未来气候变化的敏感性提供了极具价值的参考依据。