Uncovering the flavonoid synthesis mechanism of Agriophyllum squarrosum (sandrice) in response to low-temperature stress

Sandrice is a resilient, medicinal resource plant with good development prospects, widely distributed in different temperature zones, with large annual average temperature differences in its growing areas. Previous homogeneous garden experiments showed that due to long-term localized acclimatization, the accumulation of sandrice flavonoids differed among ecotypes due to hydrothermal heterogeneity in the native habitat. Therefore, by conducting physiological, metabolic and transcriptional studies under low-temperature treatments on three ecotypes (DL, AEX and DK) with a temperature gradient, we attempted to further validate the characterization of the response of sandrice to low-temperature stress and the molecular metabolic regulation mechanism of flavonoid synthesis. This study not only enriches the germplasm database of Sarpong and provides a theoretical basis for the research and development of cold-tolerant varieties of Sarpong, but also provides a theoretical basis and rationale for the precise utilization and development of medicinal resource plants in alpine regions in the future.