Integrated Analysis of the Transcriptome and Metabolome of Brassica rapa Revealed Regulatory Mechanism under Heat Stress

Affected by global warming; heat stress is the main limiting factor for crop growth and development. Brassica rapa prefers cool weather, and heat stress has a significant negative impact on its growth, development, and metabolism. Understanding the regulatory patterns of heat-resistant and heat-sensitive varieties under heat stress can help deepen understanding of plant heat tolerance mechanisms. In this study, an integrative analysis of transcriptome and metabolome was performed on the heat-tolerant ('WYM') and heat-sensitive ('AJH') lines of Brassica rapa to reveal the regulatory networks correlated to heat tolerance and to identify key regulatory genes. Heat stress was applied to two Brassica rapa cultivars, and the leaves were analyzed at the transcriptional and metabolic levels. The results suggest that the heat shock protein (HSP) family, plant hormone transduction, chlorophyll degradation, photosynthetic pathway, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) metabolism play an outstanding role in the adaptation mechanism of plant heat tolerance. Our discovery lays the foundation for future breeding of horticultural crops for heat resistance.