Project description:Lipid metabolism and antioxidant system contributed to salt salinity tolerance induced by Na+ accumulation in halophytic grass seashore paspalum
Project description:Transcriptome sequencing (RNA-seq) was used to profile genome-wide transcript abundance in the primary root growth zone (PRGZ) of maize seedlings grown in different water deficit treatments: well-watered (-0.02 MPa), mild water deficit stress (-0.3 MPa), or severe water deficit stress (-1.6 MPa). For each water deficit treatment, the PRGZ transcriptome was profiled at 26 hours after initiation of the water deficit treatment. By comparing the abundance of each transcript under mild or severe water deficit stress relative to its abundance under well-watered conditions, we identified transcripts that are differentially regulated in the PRGZ in response to the two levels of water deficit stress.
Project description:BackgroundPaspalum notatum Flügge is a subtropical grass native to South America, which includes sexual diploid and apomictic polyploid biotypes. In the past decade, a number of apomixis-associated genes were discovered in this species through genetic mapping and differential expression surveys. However, the scarce information on Paspalum sequences available in public databanks limited annotations and functional predictions for these candidates.ResultsWe used a long-read 454/Roche FLX+ sequencing strategy to produce robust reference transcriptome datasets from florets of sexual and apomictic Paspalum notatum genotypes and delivered a list of transcripts showing differential representation in both reproductive types. Raw data originated from floral samples collected from premeiosis to anthesis was assembled in three libraries: i) sexual (SEX), ii) apomictic (APO) and iii) global (SEX + APO). A group of physically-supported Paspalum mRNA and EST sequences matched with high level of confidence to both sexual and apomictic libraries. A preliminary trial allowed discovery of the whole set of putative alleles/paralogs corresponding to 23 previously identified apomixis-associated candidate genes. Moreover, a list of 3,732 transcripts and several co-expression and protein -protein interaction networks associated with apomixis were identified.ConclusionsThe use of the 454/Roche FLX+ transcriptome database will allow the detailed characterization of floral alleles/paralogs of apomixis candidate genes identified in prior and future work. Moreover, it was used to reveal additional candidate genes differentially represented in apomictic and sexual flowers. Gene ontology (GO) analyses of this set of transcripts indicated that the main molecular pathways altered in the apomictic genotype correspond to specific biological processes, like biotic and abiotic stress responses, growth, development, cell death and senescence. This data collection will be of interest to the plant reproduction research community and, particularly, to Paspalum breeding projects.