Transcriptomic profiling of fresh-cut lettuce samples (Lactuca sativa L., var Babybel, Batavia bionda), treated with two different sanitizer procedures.
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ABSTRACT: Comparative profiling of fresh-cut lettuce samples treated with an alternative washing solution (PAA) with respect to standard treated samples STD (SH-treated).We generated a comprehensive repertory of transcripts useful to study the global change induced by two sanitizer in different time points of storage (T1, T3, and T6).
Project description:Bolting is a key process in the growth and development of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.). High temperature can induce earlier bolting which decreases in both quality and production of lettuce. However, knowledge underlying lettuce bolting is still lacking. To better understand the molecular basis of bolting, a comparative proteomics analysis was conducted on lettuce stems in the bolting period induced by high temperature (33 °C) compared with a control (20 °C) using iTRAQ-based proteomics, phenotypic measures, and biological verifications. High temperature induced lettuce bolting, while control temperature did not. Of the 6656 proteins identified, 758 proteins significantly altered their expression level induced by high-temperature relative to the control, of which 409 were up-regulated and 349 down-regulated. Proteins with abundance level change were mainly involved in photosynthesis, carbohydrate metabolism, stress response, hormone synthesis, and signal transduction. These differential proteins were mainly enriched in pathways associated with photosynthesis and tryptophan metabolism involving in auxin (IAA) biosynthesis. Among the differentially expressed proteins associated with photosynthesis and tryptophan metabolism were up-regulated. Moreover, in gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis pathway, 10 of main enzymes of P450 were up-regulated. Proteins related to SAUR and GRP, implicated in IAA and GA signal transduction were up-regulated, and the phosphorylation and ubiquitination related proteins regulating IAA and GA signal transduction were also induced. These findings indicate that a high temperature enhances the function of photosynthesis, IAA and GA synthesis and signal transduction to promote the process of bolting, which is in line with the physiology and transcription levels of IAA and GA metabolism. Our data provide a first comprehensive dataset for gaining novel understanding of the molecular basis underlying lettuce bolting induced by high temperature. It is potentially important for further functional analysis and genetic manipulation for molecular breeding to breed new cultivar of lettuce to restrain early bolting, which is vital for improving vegetable quality.
Project description:Lettuce is a widely consumed leafy vegetable, valued for its nutritional benefits and culinary versatility. Various breeding initiatives have yielded lettuce varieties such as romaine or cos lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. longifolia), characterized by pigmented germplasm and enhanced tolerance to elevated temperatures. Despite its significance, a notable need exists for targeted study investigations into its chemical composition. Thus, this study aims to define the volatile and non-volatile components of the red romaine Thurinus RZ lettuce cultivar using LC-MS and GC-MS analysis. For LC-MS analysis, a C18 column will be accompanied by gradient elution using (A) water and (B) acetonitrile, each containing 0.1% formic acid as the mobile phase. For GC-MS analysis, the HP-5 column will be accompanied by Helium as the carrier gas. The molecules determined will then be ionized, and fragments will be interpreted and annotated using the mass-to-charge (m/z) ratio, which will further be tabulated.
Project description:Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is one of the most important leafy vegetable that is consumed during its vegetative growth. The transition from vegetative to reproductive growth is induced by high temperature, which has significant economic effect on lettuce production. However, the progression of floral transition and the molecular regulation of bolting are largely unknown. Here we morphologically characterized the inflorescence development and functionally analyzed the FLOWERING LOCUS T (LsFT) gene during bolting regulation in lettuce. We described the 8 developmental stages during floral transition process. The expression of LsFT was negatively correlated with bolting in different lettuce varieties, and was promoted by heat treatment. Overexpression of LsFT could recover the late-flowering phenotype of ft-2 mutant. Knockdown of LsFT by RNA interference dramatically delayed bolting in lettuce, and failed to respond to high temperature. Therefore, this study dissects the process of inflorescence development and characterizes the role of LsFT in bolting regulation in lettuce.
Project description:Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a highly perishable horticultural crop with a relatively short shelf life due to leaf senescence that limits its commercial value and contributes to food waste. Postharvest senescence varies with influences of both environmental and genetic factors. Preharvest genetic factors can be indicative of postharvest quality. Discovery of additional preharvest markers to assess lettuce shelf life is an important step towards increasing the efficiency of lettuce breeding efforts for improved shelf life. We selected and evaluated three romaine lettuces with variable shelf lives with the aim of identifying preharvest markers of lettuce postharvest shelf life. We evaluated leaf morphological characteristics for each of the three cultivars. To assess molecular indicators of shelf life, we used an RNA sequencing approach to construct transcriptomic profiles of two of the cultivars, a short shelf life (SSL) breeding line 60184 and a long shelf life (LSL) cultivar ‘Okeechobee’ at maturity. We identified 552 upregulated and 315 downregulated differentially expressed (DE) genes between the genotypes. We found that 27 % of the DE lettuce genes had an Arabidopsis thaliana ortholog characterized as senescence-associated, indicating that variable expression of senescence-associated genes (SAGs) could serve as a tool for preharvest markers of postharvest shelf life. Notably, we identified several SAGs and functional groupings with highly differential expression between the cultivars. This includes several jasmonate ZIM-domain (JAZ), jasmonic acid (JA) signaling genes, chlorophyll a-b binding (CAB) chloroplast-associated genes, and cell wall modification genes including pectate lyases (PL) and expansins (EXP). This study presented an innovative approach for identifying molecular markers for preharvest factors linked to postharvest traits for prolonged shelf. These genes could potentially be developed further as preharvest predictors of shelf life for lettuce breeding
Project description:This work aims to study the main metabolic pathways in lettuce tissues contaminated with three different pharmaceuticals: metformin MTF, carbamazepine CBZ and acetaminophen ACT . The main focus of this proteomic analysis will be the relation among stress related proteins and specific metabolic pathways regarding defence mechanisms. In order to accomplish this, previous results obtained from the direct study of enzymatic activities will be correlated with the results obtained from this proteomic analysis. This work will then contribute to improve knowledge regarding the contamination of lettuce with three largely used pharmaceutical compounds.
Project description:Circular RNA (circRNA) is a covalently-closed single-stranded RNA molecule that plays an important role in transcriptional regulation of gene expression in a variety of species. Light intensity is a pivotal environmental factor affecting plant growth and development. However, little is known regarding photoresponsive plant circRNAs. Here, we aimed to investigate the expression and function of circRNAs in lettuce leaves in response to different light intensity treatments. We performed RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) on leaves of lettuce (Lactuca sativa) to determine circRNA expression profiles and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to validate the candidate circRNA molecules. We then combined bioinformatics approach to explore the function of the parental genes of circRNA, including network, Gene Ontology, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis. We identified 1650 circRNAs in lettuce, of which 1508 (86.40%) were derived from exons. Using real-time PCR, we characterized 10 validated differentially expressed circRNAs and their parental genes, all of which showed expression patterns consistent with RNA-Seq data. Interestingly, the expression of circRNA was, in some cases, inversely correlated with the expression of the parental gene. Furthermore, analysis of the circRNA–microRNA–mRNA network suggests that circRNAs may be involved in plant hormone signaling and chlorophyll metabolism during photoreactivity. These findings provide an essential reference basis for studying circRNAs’ biological mechanisms in light-treated plants.
Project description:This study utilized the HIT-ISOseq method for high-throughput sequencing of RNA isoforms across multiple lettuce samples, generating millions of long reads per PacBio Sequel II SMRT Cell. Analysis of six tissue types revealed tissue-specific gene expression and RNA isoforms, facilitating updates to the lettuce reference genome annotation with expanded functional annotations.
Project description:The use of new natural eco-sustainable products is becoming an interesting option in order to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and increase crop yields. Seaweed extracts are gained major attention as plant biostimulants due to their positive effect on plant-growth as well as on improving plants’ tolerance against abiotic stresses. Among the horticulture crops, lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is a major fresh vegetable crop in the Mediterranean area, which often requires the use of natural biostimulants to improve both the quantity and quality of production. The aim of this work was to assess the effect of either Chlorella vulgaris or Scenedesmus quadricauda extracts on lettuce seedlings (Lactuca sativa L.) by motoring the induced transcriptomic modifications using a RNASeq approach. The results showed that both C. vulgaris and S. quadricauda extracts positively influence the growth of lettuce seedlings. However, a higher reprogramming of the gene expression occurred in the case of C. vulgaris treatment than in S. quadricauda extract. Considering the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway functional enrichments, the main KEGG terms are in the “Biosynthesis of secondary metabolites”, “Metabolic pathways”, “Carbon metabolism” and “Biosynthesis of amino acids” categories. This study lays the basis for understanding the mechanisms and processes triggered by the use of microalgal extracts, which can represent an easier-to-handle and cheaper method for an eco-sustainable cultivation of lettuce plants than the application of chemicals.
Project description:Chitin soil amendment is known to improve soil quality, plant growth and plant stress resilience, but the underlying mechanisms are not well understood. In this study, we monitored chitin’s effect on lettuce physiology every two weeks through an eight-week growth period, analyzed the early transcriptional reprogramming and related metabolomic changes of lettuce, in response to crab chitin treatment in peat-based potting soil. In commercial growth conditions, chitin amendment still promoted lettuce growth, increased chlorophyll content, the number of leaves and crop head weight from week six. The flavonoid content in lettuce leaves was altered as well, showing an increase at week two but a decrease from week six. Transcriptomic analysis showed that over 300 genes in lettuce root were significant differentially expressed after chitin soil treatment. Gene Ontology-term (GO) enrichment analysis revealed statistical overrepresentation of GO terms linked to photosynthesis, pigment metabolic process and phenylpropanoid metabolic process. Further analysis of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) showed that the flavonoid pathway is mostly upregulated whereas the bifurcation of upstream phenylpropanoid pathway towards lignin biosynthesis is mostly downregulated. Metabolomic analysis revealed the upregulation of salicylic acid, chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid, and p-coumaric acid in chitin treated lettuce seedlings. These phenolic compounds mainly influence the phenylpropanoid biosynthesis pathway and may play important roles in plant defense reactions. Our results suggest that chitin soil amendments might activate induced resistance by priming lettuce plants and promote lettuce growth via transcriptional changes.
Project description:The effect of elicitation in butterhead lettuce on carotenoid and polyphenol metabolism was evaluated. Different concentrations of arachidonic acid (AA), salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MJ) (15, 45, and 90 ?M) and Harpin protein (HP) (30, 60, and 120 mg/L) were applied on red and green butterhead lettuces. Total phenolic and flavonoid content were incremented by MJ (90 ?M) in green and red lettuce. Carotenoids were increased in red lettuce (AA; 45 ?M). Green lettuce modifies their phenolic acid profile after elicitation with AA and MJ; meanwhile, red lettuce incremented mainly in hydroxycinnamic acids and flavonols, MJ being the elicitor with the highest effect. There was an impact on secondary metabolite enzyme gene transcript concentration. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and lycopene beta cyclase (LBC) increased in both varieties after elicitation. A relationship between phytochemical increase and the activation of the metabolic pathways after elicitation in butterhead lettuce was observed.