ABSTRACT: Background: Weedy rice (Oryza sativa L.) is a worldwide problem in rice production, being highly tolerant to sub-optimal nutrient levels hence competitive in nutrient acquisition. To understand the function of genes that are potentially involved in the high nutrient acquisition ability of weedy rice, we compared the transcriptomes of strawhull weedy red rice (tolerant to N deficit) with the rice cultivar ‘Wells’ (intolerant to N deficit), by examining profiles in flag leaves at panicle initiation under low and optimum N levels. Strawhull weedy red rice and cultivar ‘Wells’ were grown in nutrient solution with NH4NO3 concentration manipulated to simulate optimum and deficient N conditions. Changes in gene expression in leaf tissues were analyzed at three conditions: N deficiency, and at 24- and 48-h NH4NO3 supplementation after N starvation. Differential gene expression on weedy red rice was evaluated using oligonucleotide arrays representing 44,974 rice gene models. Overall, comparative real-time PCR analysis of 21 candidate genes identified from the microarray data between weedy red rice and cultivar ‘Wells’ supported our hypothesis that key genes involved in N assimilation are expressed differentially at N- deficient conditions between the tolerant and intolerant strains. Results: Eight candidate genes showed significant differences in expression at one of the time points: N and starch metabolism-related [alanine aminotransferase (OsAlaAT) locus ID Os10g25140.1; soluble starch synthase 2-1(OsSSSII1), Os10g30156.1; and soluble starch synthase 2-3(OsSSSII3), Os06g12450.1]; cell structure-related [alpha-L-fucosidase 2 precursor (OsFUCA2), Os06g06250.1]; signal transduction [two-component response regulator-like(OsPRR1), Os02g40510.1 and EF hand family protein (OsPOLC2_JUNOX), Os02g50060.1]; and transcription factors [zinc finger, C2H2 type family protein(OsC2H2Znf), Os11g06840.1 and Myb-like DNA-binding domain (OsMYB), Os01g62660.1]. Genome-wide gene expression analysis of weedy rice showed that nitrite reductase (Os01g25484.1; Os01g25484.2; Os01g25484.3) was most highly induced at N starvation and was most deeply repressed at 24 h of N-stress recovery. A few other genes, namely SANT/MYB (Os01g47370.1), chaperonin (Os02g54060.1; Os02g54060.2), protein phosphatase (Os09g15670.1), polyamine transporter (Os01g61044.1), trehalose-6-phosphate synthase (Os02g54820.2), uracil phosphoribosyltransferase (Os05g38170.1), an MIKCc type-box transcription factor (Os02g52340.1), a cell homeostasis-related uncharacterized protein (Os02g16880.1), a protease inhibitor (Os07g18990.1), dehydrin (Os11g26760.1), and cytochrome P450 (Os11g05380.1) were also strong indicators of starvation and recovery. Conclusions: Weedy rice has N-stress adaptive mechanisms that are probably distinct to the mechanisms in most cultivars. This mechanism potentially contributes to its high vigor and competitive advantage over most rice cultivars under sub-optimal nutrient levels. Expression of key genes involved in nitrate assimilation, trehalose synthesis, and protein modification appeared to be critical for adaptation to N stress in weedy rice. N-stress tolerance of weedy red rice appeared to be due at least in part to the ability to sustain C fixation and starch synthesis during N starvation.
