Comparative metabolomics of two nettle species unveils distinct high-altitude adaptation mechanisms on the Tibetan Plateau
We found that the metabolic differences between the two sympatric species are primarily in carbohydrate and phenylpropanoid contents. The differential metabolites of the same species across different altitudes were enriched mainly in carbon metabolism pathways and lipid metabolism pathways. Thus, our study revealed that the high-altitude adaptation mechanisms of sympatric species are not identical. Moreover, adaptation strategies within the same species were generally consistent across altitudes, exhibiting only slight variations. This study provide novel insights into the adaptive metabolic strategies of U. hyperborea and U. dioica, contributing to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms underlying plant adaptation to extreme high-altitude conditions.
Authors
- Zeng‐Yuan Wu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4652-0194)
- Jie Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0843-0358)
- Lijuan Deng (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5072-390X)
- Fengying Wang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7296-7374)
- Xiangqing Sun (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3614-4682)
- Richard I. Milne (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7949-7539)
- Yin-Lei Li
Institutions
- Kunming Institute of Botany (CN)
- Yunnan University (CN)
- Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CN)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
- Shaanxi Normal University (CN)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- BMC Plant Biology
- Published
- 2025-05-15
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06666-9
- Citations
- 4
- Primary Topic
- Metabolomics and Mass Spectrometry Studies
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 3.22
Funders
- National Natural Science Foundation of China
- University of Toronto
- China Scholarship Council
- Recruitment Program of Global Experts
- National Ten Thousand Talent Program