Transcriptomic and Proteomic Analyses Unveil the Role of Nitrogen Metabolism in the Formation of Chinese Cabbage Petiole Spot

Abstract

Chinese cabbage is the most widely consumed vegetable crop due to its high nutritional value and rock-bottom price. Notably, the presence of the physiological disease petiole spot significantly impacts the appearance quality and marketability of Chinese cabbage. It is well known that excessive nitrogen fertilizer is a crucial factor in the occurrence of petiole spots; however, the mechanism by which excessive nitrogen triggers the formation of petiole spots is not yet clear. In this study, we found that petiole spots initially gather in the intercellular or extracellular regions, then gradually extend into intracellular regions, and finally affect adjacent cells, accompanied by cell death. Transcriptomic and proteomic as well as physiology analyses revealed that the genes/proteins involved in nitrogen metabolism exhibited different expression patterns in resistant and susceptible Chinese cabbage lines. The resistant Chinese cabbage line has high assimilation ability of NH4+, whereas the susceptible one accumulates excessive NH4+, thus inducing a burst of reactive oxygen species (ROS). These results introduce a novel perspective to the investigation of petiole spot induced by the nitrogen metabolism pathway, offering a theoretical foundation for the development of resistant strains in the control of petiole spot.