Project description:Maize is one of the most important crops in the world and serves as an excellent model for seed development research. Despite the important role of the transcriptome in development, genome-wide expression throughout the process of maize seed development has not been characterized. Using RNA-seq, we developed a spatio-temporal transcriptome atlas of B73 maize seed development from fertilization to maturity for embryo, endosperm, and whole seed tissue.
Project description:Maize (Zea mays) is an excellent cereal model for research on seed development because of its relatively large size for both embryo and endosperm. Despite the importance of seed in agriculture, the genome-wide transcriptome pattern throughout seed development has not been well characterized. Using high-throughput RNA sequencing, we developed a spatiotemporal transcriptome atlas of B73 maize seed development based on 53 samples from fertilization to maturity for embryo, endosperm, and whole seed tissues.
Project description:Epigenetic modification plays important roles in plant and animal development. DNA methylation can impact the transposable element (TE) silencing, gene imprinting and regulate gene expression.Through a genome-wide analysis, DNA methylation peaks were respectively characterized and mapped in maize embryo and endosperm genome. Distinct methylation level across maize embryo and endosperm was observed. The maize embryo genome contained more DNA methylation peaks than endosperm. However, the endosperm chloroplast genome contained more DNA methylation peaks to compare with the embryo chloroplast genome. DNA methylation regions were characterized and mapped in genome. More CG island (CGI) shore are methylated than CGI in maize suggested that DNA methylation level is not positively correlated with CpG density. The DNA methylation occurred more frequently in the promoter sequence and transcriptional termination region (TTR) than other regions of the genes. The result showed that 99% TEs we characterized are methylated in maize embryo, but some (34.8%) of them are not methylated in endosperm. Maize embryo and endosperm exhibit distinct pattern/level of methylation. The most differentially methylated two regions between embryo and endosperm are High CpG content promoters (HCPs) and high CpG content TTRs (HCTTRs). DNA methylation peaks distinction of mitochondria and chloroplast DNA were less than the nucleus DNA. Our results indicated that DNA methylation is associated with the gene silencing or gene activation in maize endosperm and embryo. Many genes involved in embryogenesis and seed development were found differentially methylated in embryo and endosperm. We found 17 endosperm-specific expressed imprinting genes were hypomethylated in endosperm and were hypermethylated in embryo. The expression of a maize DEMETER -like (DME-like) gene and MBD101 gene (MBD4 homolog) which direct bulk genome DNA demethylation were higher in endosperm than in embryo. These two genes may be associated with the distinct methylation level across maize embryo and endosperm.The methylomes of maize embryo and endosperm was obtained by MeDIP-seq method. The global mapping of maize embryo and endosperm methylation in this study broadened our knowledge of DNA methylation patterns in maize genome, and provided useful information for future studies on maize seed development and regulation of metabolic pathways in different seed tissues. Examination of DNA methylated modifications in 2 maize tissues.
Project description:miRNAs of at least 2 times expression level higher in seeds were all from the miR319, miR171 and miR166 family. In leaves, most up-regulated miRNAs included miR399a/c/d/e, miR408, miR159c/d, miR156k/j, miR160a/b/c/d/e and miR164a/b/c/d We intend to identify the up-regulated miRNAs in maize seed and screen for key miRNAs involved in maize seed development
Project description:Rapid and uniform seed germination is required for modern cropping system. Thus, it is important to optimize germination performance through breeding strategies in maize, in which identification for key regulators is needed. Here, we characterized an AP2/ERF transcription factor, ZmEREB92, as a negative regulator of seed germination in maize. Enhanced germination in ereb92 mutants is contributed by elevated ethylene signaling and starch degradation. Consistently, an ethylene signaling gene ZmEIL7 and an α-amylase gene ZmAMYa2 are identified as direct targets repressed by ZmEREB92. OsERF74, the rice ortholog of ZmEREB92, shows conserved function in negatively regulating seed germination in rice. Importantly, this orthologous gene pair is likely experienced convergently selection during maize and rice domestication. Besides, mutation of ZmEREB92 and OsERF74 both lead to enhanced germination under cold condition, suggesting their regulation on seed germination might be coupled with temperature sensitivity. Collectively, our findings uncovered the ZmEREB92-mediated regulatory mechanism of seed germination in maize and provide breeding targets for maize and rice to optimize seed germination performance towards changing climates.
Project description:In this study, a small RNA library from maize seed 24 hours after imbibition was sequenced by the Solexa technology. A total of 11,338,273 reads were obtained. 1,047,447 total reads representing 431 unique sRNAs matched to known maize miRNAs. Further analysis confirmed the authenticity of 115 known miRNAs belonging to 24 miRNA families and the discovery of 167 novel miRNAs in maize. Both the known and the novel miRNAs were confirmed by sequencing of a second small RNA library constructed the same way as the one used in the first sequencing. We also found 10 miRNAs that had not been reported in maize, but had been reported in other plant species. All novel sequences had not been earlier described in other plant species. In addition, seven miRNA* sequences were also obtained. Putative targets for 106 novel miRNAs were successfully predicted. Our results indicated that miRNA-mediated gene expression regulation is present in maize imbibed seed. This study led to the confirmation of the authenticity of 115 known miRNAs and the discovery of 167 novel miRNAs in maize. Identification of novel miRNAs resulted in significant enrichment of the repertoire of maize miRNAs and provided insights into miRNA regulation of genes expressed in imbibed seed.
Project description:The genes specifically express in some tissue may usually play an important role in the development of the tissue. At vegetative growth stage, some genes may up-regulated to promote the nutrition absorbtion and transportation. However during the reproductive stage, some genes may up-regulated to regulate the flowering and seed development. We used microarrays to identify significantly differentially expressed genes between seed and non-seed tissues. Different tissues of maize were selected at vegetative growth stage and reproductive stage for RNA extraction and hybridization on Affymetrix microarrays. We sought to identify significantly differentially expressed genes between seed and non-seed tissues. To that end, Big trumpet period maize inbred line B73 was use to collect nutritive tissues include root, stem, stem tip and leaf; 10, 15, 20 and 25 DAP (days after pollination) embryo and endosperm; ear and silk before pollination. Each sample has three replications.
Project description:Seed germination is a critical developmental process in plant propagation. Knowledge of the gene expression patterns in this critical process is important in order to understand the main biochemical reactions involved in successful germination, specially for economically relevant plants such as Maize. The purpose of this study is the gene expression analysis of quiescent and germinated maize embryonic axes to determine the regulatory mechanism for (r)-protein expression during the maize development process.
Project description:Epigenetic modification plays important roles in plant and animal development. DNA methylation can impact the transposable element (TE) silencing, gene imprinting and regulate gene expression.Through a genome-wide analysis, DNA methylation peaks were respectively characterized and mapped in maize embryo and endosperm genome. Distinct methylation level across maize embryo and endosperm was observed. The maize embryo genome contained more DNA methylation peaks than endosperm. However, the endosperm chloroplast genome contained more DNA methylation peaks to compare with the embryo chloroplast genome. DNA methylation regions were characterized and mapped in genome. More CG island (CGI) shore are methylated than CGI in maize suggested that DNA methylation level is not positively correlated with CpG density. The DNA methylation occurred more frequently in the promoter sequence and transcriptional termination region (TTR) than other regions of the genes. The result showed that 99% TEs we characterized are methylated in maize embryo, but some (34.8%) of them are not methylated in endosperm. Maize embryo and endosperm exhibit distinct pattern/level of methylation. The most differentially methylated two regions between embryo and endosperm are High CpG content promoters (HCPs) and high CpG content TTRs (HCTTRs). DNA methylation peaks distinction of mitochondria and chloroplast DNA were less than the nucleus DNA. Our results indicated that DNA methylation is associated with the gene silencing or gene activation in maize endosperm and embryo. Many genes involved in embryogenesis and seed development were found differentially methylated in embryo and endosperm. We found 17 endosperm-specific expressed imprinting genes were hypomethylated in endosperm and were hypermethylated in embryo. The expression of a maize DEMETER -like (DME-like) gene and MBD101 gene (MBD4 homolog) which direct bulk genome DNA demethylation were higher in endosperm than in embryo. These two genes may be associated with the distinct methylation level across maize embryo and endosperm.The methylomes of maize embryo and endosperm was obtained by MeDIP-seq method. The global mapping of maize embryo and endosperm methylation in this study broadened our knowledge of DNA methylation patterns in maize genome, and provided useful information for future studies on maize seed development and regulation of metabolic pathways in different seed tissues.