Combined analysis of metabolomic, transcriptomic and proteomics to reveal the underlying mechanism of mucilage disappearance in Brasenia schreberi

Brasenia schreberi J.F. Gmel ( B. schreberi ), an aquatic plant species of significant industrial interest, contains abundant mucilaginous compounds demonstrating multiple bioactive properties. These distinctive physicochemical characteristics have established its dual applications as a functional ingredient in nutraceutical formulations and as a valuable raw material for pharmacological development. To elucidate the dynamic regulation of mucilage disappearance in B. schreberi , a multi-omics approach integrating metabolomic profiling, transcriptomic sequencing, and proteomic characterization was systematically applied. A total of 1155 differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs), 22610 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), and 7234 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified between the young leaves with full mucilage (Bra-m) and old leaves with little mucilage (Bra-e) groups, respectively. Functional annotation systems demonstrated coordinated enrichment of DAMs, DEGs, and DEPs in mucilage-associated GO terms, such as the cell wall polysaccharide metabolic process, and key KEGG pathways including ribosome, photosynthesis, proteasome, DNA replication, and carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms. Metabolomic analysis indicated that epicatechin, catechin and procyanidin-related DAMs could be metabolite markers for mucilage disappearance. Transcriptomic analysis revealed that mucilage-related genes MYB5 , MUCI70 , FLA4 , and UUAT1 were significantly up-regulated in the Bra-m group. Inter-omics integration revealed moderate positive correlation (r = 0.50) in transcriptomic-proteomic coupling, establishing post-transcriptional regulatory nodes as critical determinants in the mucilage degradation network. These findings provide mechanistic insights into the system-level perspective of the mucilage disappearance in B. schreberi plants. • 1539 metabolites were first detected in the isolated mucilage from B. schreberi using UPLC-MS/MS. • Metabolomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic analyses were performed in Bra-m and Bra-e samples. • A total of 1155 DAMs, 22610 DEGs, and 7234 DEPs were identified between Bra-m and Bra-e groups. • The DAMs were involved in biosynthesis of flavanols, quercetin and kaempferol aglycones. • DEGs and DEPs were involved in important life events such as ribosome and DNA replication.