Physiological and transcriptomic analyses reveal the mechanisms of Ilex chinensis response to different types of simulated acid rain

As we all know, acid rain is one of the global environmental problems and poses a serious threat to ecosystems. Ilex chinensis is a common ornamental plant in gardens, and it also has important medicinal value. However, there are few studies on the physiological changes and molecular metabolism of I. chinensis under acid rain stress. So in this study, three types of acid rain with different pH were simulated to investigate their effects on the photosynthesis, antioxidants, and nitrogen metabolites of I. chinensis. Transcriptome sequencing on samples with the most significant physiological changes were conducted to explore gene expression differences under different types of acid rain treatments, and identify key genes and related metabolic regulatory pathways. Samples treated for 5, 15, 30, and 60 d were collected to measure physiological indexes, and samples treated for 5 d and 15 d were used for transcriptome determination.