Transcriptomics Combined with Physiology and Metabolomics Reveals the Mechanism of Tolerance to Lead Toxicity in Maize Seedling

Abstract Lead (Pb) exposure can induce molecular changes in plants, disrupt metabolites, and impact plant growth. Therefore, it is essential to comprehend the molecular mechanisms involved in Pb tolerance in plants to evaluate the long‐term environmental consequences of Pb exposure. This research focused on maize as the test subject to study variations in biomass, root traits, genes, and metabolites under hydroponic conditions under Pb conditions. The findings indicate that high Pb stress significantly disrupts plant growth and development, leading to a reduction in catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) activities by 17.12, 5.78, and 19.38%, respectively. Conversely, Pb stress led to increase malondialdehyde (MDA) contents, ultimately impacting the growth of maize. The non‐targeted metabolomics analysis identified 393 metabolites categorized into 12 groups, primarily consisting of organic acids and derivatives, organ heterocyclic compounds, lipids and lipid‐like molecules and benzenoids. Further analysis indicated that Pb stress induced an accumulation of 174 metabolites mainly enriched in seven metabolic pathways, for example phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and flavonoid biosynthesis. Transcriptome analysis revealed 1933 shared differentially expressed genes (DEGs), with 1356 upregulated and 577 downregulated genes across all Pb treatments. Additionally, an integrated analysis identified several DEGs and differentially accumulated metabolites (DAMs), including peroxidase, alpha‐trehalose, and D‐glucose 6‐phosphate, which were linked to cell wall biosynthesis. These findings imply the significance of this pathway in Pb detoxification. This comprehensive investigation, employing multiple methodologies, provides a detailed molecular‐level insight into maize's response to Pb stress.