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Background <p>Drought stress during flowering severely restricts maize yield by impairing silk elongation, yet the metabolic mechanisms that sustain silk function under prolonged severe water deficit remain insufficiently resolved.</p> Methods and results <p>In this study, we combined physiological measurements with transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to investigate severe drought-induced metabolic reprogramming in maize silks of two hybrids exhibiting contrasting drought responses. Severe drought caused pronounced inhibition of silk elongation accompanied by a reorganization of carbon metabolism, characterized by depletion of hexose pools and enhanced allocation toward osmotic adjustment and secondary metabolic pathways. Increased sucrose cleavage and trehalose accumulation supported osmotic stability, while phenylpropanoid metabolism was selectively redirected toward stress-associated intermediates despite coordinated repression of lignin polymerization genes. The drought-tolerant hybrid maintained a more balanced metabolic state, preserving partial growth capacity while activating protective pathways, whereas the sensitive hybrid exhibited an intensified defense-oriented response at the expense of growth. Several metabolites and genes, including α,α-trehalose, D-proline, <i>SH-1</i>, and <i>TPS11</i>, were consistently associated with silk drought resilience.</p> Conclusions <p>Together, these results demonstrate that maize silk tolerance to severe drought is supported by dynamic carbon reallocation rather than a mere downregulation of metabolic activity. This study further identified candidate metabolic and molecular markers that can be leveraged to enhance reproductive-stage resilience to severe drought in maize.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>

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Dynamic carbon reallocation underpins silk elongation resilience during prolonged severe drought in maize

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月12日

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  • Yangyang Li,
  • Jinrong Xu,
  • Yi Yu,
  • Ashley Jones,
  • Ray Rose,
  • Pengpeng Zhang,
  • Youhong Song

摘要

Background

Drought stress during flowering severely restricts maize yield by impairing silk elongation, yet the metabolic mechanisms that sustain silk function under prolonged severe water deficit remain insufficiently resolved.

Methods and results

In this study, we combined physiological measurements with transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses to investigate severe drought-induced metabolic reprogramming in maize silks of two hybrids exhibiting contrasting drought responses. Severe drought caused pronounced inhibition of silk elongation accompanied by a reorganization of carbon metabolism, characterized by depletion of hexose pools and enhanced allocation toward osmotic adjustment and secondary metabolic pathways. Increased sucrose cleavage and trehalose accumulation supported osmotic stability, while phenylpropanoid metabolism was selectively redirected toward stress-associated intermediates despite coordinated repression of lignin polymerization genes. The drought-tolerant hybrid maintained a more balanced metabolic state, preserving partial growth capacity while activating protective pathways, whereas the sensitive hybrid exhibited an intensified defense-oriented response at the expense of growth. Several metabolites and genes, including α,α-trehalose, D-proline, SH-1, and TPS11, were consistently associated with silk drought resilience.

Conclusions

Together, these results demonstrate that maize silk tolerance to severe drought is supported by dynamic carbon reallocation rather than a mere downregulation of metabolic activity. This study further identified candidate metabolic and molecular markers that can be leveraged to enhance reproductive-stage resilience to severe drought in maize.

Graphical abstract