Manganese‐regulated accumulation of carotenoids and abscisic acid in sweet potato through multi‐omics analysis

Abstract BACKGROUND Sweet potato ( Ipomoea batatas (L.) Lam.) with high yield and diverse nutrients, is the third most important food crop in the world. Manganese (Mn) is an essential cofactor that plays a critical role in the development and maturation of the crop. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the sweet potato response to Mn remains unclear. RESULTS In this study, Mn treatment increased the depth of yellow color in sweet potato, augmented sugar and carotenoid accumulation in storage roots, accompanied with a decline in plant hormones. Especially, Mn‐treated storage roots displayed more than a 200% increase in β ‐carotene content compared to the control, while the abscisic acid (ABA) content was reduced by at least 50%. An integrated metabolomic and transcriptomic analysis suggested that Mn application regulated transcriptional and metabolic profiles of carotenoid biosynthesis, soluble sugar, carbon fixation in photosynthetic organisms and biosynthesis of amino acids. Further study revealed that Mn treatment stimulated β ‐carotene accumulation in storage roots by up‐regulation of the transcripts of GGPPS , ZIDS , LCYB and OR , along with down‐regulation of CCD1 and CCD4 . Moreover, Mn application reduced ABA content through preventing the expression of NCED1 . CONCLUSION Our results indicated that Mn, emerging as an agrochemical candidate, will meet agricultural challenges by not only enriching the flesh coloration but also augmenting the nutritional value of sweet potatoes. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.