Comparative metabolomics of wild and cultivated yew: insights into metabolic diversity and environmental adaptability

Taxus cuspidata is a well-known gymnosperm with great ornamental and medicinal value. The study aims to reveal the metabolic differences between wild and cultivated species of T. cuspidata, and to analyze the genetic and ecological factors behind these differences. This study conducted a comparative metabolomics analysis of wild and cultivated T. cuspidata based on LC-MS/MS technology. The results showed: (1) A total of 7030 metabolites were identified, primarily including flavonoids, organic acids, phenolic acids, amino acids and their derivatives, lipids, and alkaloids, among others; (2) 2381 differential metabolites were confirmed: 949 higher in cultivated species and 1432 higher in wild species, which suggesting wild species have more advantageous metabolites. (3) Through KEGG annotation, 20 significant metabolic pathways were identified, with sugar metabolism, photosynthesis, and sulfur metabolism were significantly higher in wild species. In contrast, pathways related to most amino acids and their derivatives, flavonoids, terpenoids, polyphenols, alkaloids, and plant hormones were significantly higher in cultivated species. In conclusion, the wild species are inferior to cultivated species in terms of drought resistance, growth rate, and medicinal value for cancer treatment. However, the advantage of wild species lies in their significantly higher diversity of upregulated secondary metabolites due to their rich genetic resources, which exhibit greater metabolic diversity and environmental adaptability, which enhances their survival capability. Furthermore, the wild species exhibit significantly higher efficiency in photosynthesis and sugar metabolism compared to cultivated species, enabling them to better withstand low-temperature stress. This study has provided the direction for research into the mechanisms of stress resistance in T. cuspidata and has also established a theoretical basis for formulating scientifically and reasonable conservation strategies for wild species.