Project description:Waterlogging is a major abiotic stress causing oxygen depletion and carbon dioxide accumulation in the rhizosphere. Barley is more susceptible to waterlogging stress than other cereals. To gain a better understanding of the effect of waterlogging stress in barley, we carried out a genome-wide gene expression analysis in roots of Yerong and Deder2 barley genotypes under waterlogging and control (well-watered) conditions by RNA-Sequencing, using Illumina HiSeq™ 4000 platform.
Project description:A DNA microarray analysis detected large-scale changes of gene expression in response to Cd stress with a substantial difference between the two barley genotypes differing in Cd tolerance and accumulation. Cd stress led to higher expression of genes involved in transport, carbohydrate metabolism and signal transduction in the low-grain-Cd-accumulating genotype. Novel transporter genes such as zinc transporter genes were identified as being associated with low Cd accumulation. We used microarrays to understand the mechanism of low Cd accumulation in crops which is crucial for sustainable safe food production in Cd-contaminated soils.
Project description:Drought poses a significant limitation to crop yield. The nuclear Cap Binding Complex (CBC), made up of CBP20 and CBP80, plays a key role in regulating pre-mRNA splicing and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling. In this study, we examined how mutations in the barley CBC genes (hvcbp20.ab, hvcbp80.b, and the double mutant hvcbp20.ab/hvcbp80.b) affect physiological and transcriptomic responses to drought stress during the booting stage. The mutants exhibited both common and unique mechanisms of drought adaptation. Transcriptome analysis showed that loss of HvCBP80 function markedly suppressed gene transcription and splicing but activated photosynthesis-associated genes, leading to improved photosynthetic performance under both normal and drought conditions. In contrast, HvCBP20 mutation enhanced the expression of ABA-responsive genes and sustained stress-related signaling. On a physiological level, hvcbp20.ab mutants maintained higher stomatal conductance despite having fewer stomata, while hvcbp80.b mutants exhibited reduced conductance under optimal conditions but formed wider stomata during drought. Although these mutations improved certain drought avoidance traits and photosynthetic capacity, they did not translate into gains in yield-related characteristics. Altogether, our results highlight the nuclear CBC as a central modulator of drought responses and recovery in barley, capable of reprogramming gene expression to support enhanced stress resilience. Here we deposit plant samples after drought stress treatment and after rewatering
