Physiological and ecological responses of flue-cured tobacco to field chilling stress: insights from metabolomics and proteomics.

Introduction: Currently, research on tobacco's response to chilling stress is mostly limited to laboratory simulations, where temperature is controlled to study physiological and molecular responses. However, laboratory conditions cannot fully replicate the complex environment of field chilling stress, so conducting research under field conditions is crucial for understanding the multi-level adaptive mechanisms of tobacco to chilling stress in natural environments. Methods: This study aims to use field trials, starting from physiological responses, combined with proteomics and untargeted metabolomics, to systematically reveal the physiological and biochemical characteristics and key molecular mechanisms of tobacco leaves under chilling stress. It provides new insights into tobacco's adaptation strategies under chilling stress. Results: The results showed that (1) chilling stress damages the appearance of tobacco leaves, reduces the chlorophyll content, increases H Conclusions: Therefore, under chilling stress, tobacco leaves exhibit complex physiological adaptability through multiple regulatory mechanisms involving proteins and metabolites. The research results provide important insights into the metabolic regulatory mechanisms of tobacco in response to extreme environments and also enhance the theoretical foundation for addressing low-temperature stress in practical production.