Brasenia schreberi J.F. Gmel (BS) is rich in mucilage, which has diverse biological activities, and is utilized in the food and pharmaceutical industries due to its nutritional value. Proteomics analysis was employed to investigate the cause of mucilage disappearance in BS and its effect on nutrient accumulation. Among the 2892 proteins identified, 840 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were found to be involved in mucilage development. By comparing the expression patterns and functions and pathway enrichment, the DEPs mainly contributed to carbon and energy metabolism, polysaccharide metabolism, and photosynthesis. Our study also revealed positive correlations between mucilage accumulation and tryptophan metabolism, with high levels of indole-3-acetic (IAA) contributing to mucilage accumulation. Furthermore, environmental changes and particularly excessive nutrients were found to be detrimental to mucilage synthesis. Overall, in the absence of various stimuli in the growing environment, BS accumulates more nutrients within the plant itself instead of producing mucilage.
Keywords: Brasenia schreberi; mucilage; nutrients; proteomics; tryptophan metabolism.