Transcriptomic Analysis of Female Panicles Reveals Gene Expression Responses to Drought Stress in Maize (Zea mays L.)

Agronomy

Shenjiao Yang¹  Husen Qiu¹  Yanping Jiang²  Ruixin Shao²  Hongwei Li²  Guoqiang Zhao²  Yongchao Wang²  Yulou Tang²  Shuangjie Jia²  Yinglei Zhang²  Jiameng Guo²  Qinghua Yang² 

[1] Farmland Irrigation Research Institute, CAAS/National Agro-ecological System Observation and Research Station of Shangqiu, Xinxiang 453002, China;The Collaborative Center Innovation of Henan Food Crops, National Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, China;

关键词: transcriptome analysis;    summer maize;    drought;    female panicle;   

DOI  :  10.3390/agronomy10020313

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Female panicles (FPs) play an important role in the formation of yields in maize. From 40 days after sowing to the tasseling stage for summer maize, FPs are developing and sensitive to drought. However, it remains unclear how FPs respond to drought stress during FP development. In this study, FP differentiation was observed at 20 and 30 days after drought (DAD) and agronomic trait changes of maize ears were determined across three treatments, including well-watered (CK), light drought (LD), and moderate drought (MD) treatments at 20, 25, and 30 DAD. RNA-sequencing was then used to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in FPs at 30 DAD. Spikelets and florets were suppressed in LD and MD treatments, suggesting that drought slows FP development and thus decreases yields. Transcriptome analysis indicated that 40, 876, and 887 DEGs were detected in LD/CK, MD/CK, and MD/LD comparisons. KEGG pathway analysis showed that ‘biosynthesis of other secondary metabolites’ and ‘carbohydrate metabolism’ were involved in the LD response, whereas ‘starch and sucrose metabolism’ and ‘plant hormone signal transduction’ played important roles in the MD response. In addition, a series of molecular cues related to development and growth were screened for their drought stress responses.

【 授权许可】

Unknown