Response to the Cold Stress Signaling of the Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis) Elicited by Chitosan Oligosaccharide

Abstract

Cold stress caused by a low temperature is a significant threat to tea production. The application of chitosan oligosaccharide (COS) can alleviate the effect of low temperature stress on tea plants. However, how COS affects the cold stress signaling in tea plants is still unclear. In this study, we investigated the level of physiological indicators in tea leaves treated with COS, and then the molecular response to the cold stress of tea leaves treated with COS was analyzed by transcriptomics with RNA-Sequencing (RNA-Seq). The results show that the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, peroxidase (POD) activity, content of chlorophyll and soluble sugar in tea leaves in COS-treated tea plant were significantly increased and that photosynthesis and carbon metabolism were enriched. Besides, our results suggest that COS may impact to the cold stress signaling via enhancing the photosynthesis and carbon process. Our research provides valuable information for the mechanisms of COS application in tea plants under cold stress.