Abstract
BackgroundPolyploidization, pervasive among higher plant species, enhances adaptation to water deficit, but the physiological and molecular advantages need to be investigated widely. Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are involved in drought tolerance in various crops.ResultsHerein, we demonstrate that tetraploidy potentiates tolerance to drought stress in cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz). Autotetraploidy reduces transpiration by lesser extent increasing of stomatal density, smaller stomatal aperture size, or greater stomatal closure, and reducing accumulation of H2O2 under drought stress. Transcriptome analysis of autotetraploid samples revealed down-regulation of genes involved in photosynthesis under drought stress, and less down-regulation of subtilisin-like proteases involved in increasing stomatal density. UDP-glucosyltransferases were increased more or reduced less in dehydrated leaves of autotetraploids compared with controls. Strand-specific RNA-seq data (validated by quantitative real time PCR) identified 2372 lncRNAs, and 86 autotetraploid-specific lncRNAs were differentially expressed in stressed leaves. The co-expressed network analysis indicated that LNC_001148 and LNC_000160 in autotetraploid dehydrated leaves regulated six genes encoding subtilisin-like protease above mentioned, thereby result in increasing the stomatal density to a lesser extent in autotetraploid cassava. Trans-regulatory network analysis suggested that autotetraploid-specific differentially expressed lncRNAs were associated with galactose metabolism, pentose phosphate pathway and brassinosteroid biosynthesis, etc.ConclusionTetraploidy potentiates tolerance to drought stress in cassava, and LNC_001148 and LNC_000160 mediate drought tolerance by regulating stomatal density in autotetraploid cassava.
Highlights
Polyploidization, pervasive among higher plant species, enhances adaptation to water deficit, but the physiological and molecular advantages need to be investigated widely
Autotetraploid cassava displays stronger drought tolerance than diploid plants We exposed ‘Xinxuan 048’ 2× and 4× plants to soil with the same relative water content to compare their responses to drought stress
The results revealed similar Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) expression patterns to those obtained in the RNA-seq (Fig. 8), which suggests that the two lncRNAs identified using deep sequencing may target genes encoding subtilisin-like proteases via coexpression
Summary
Polyploidization, pervasive among higher plant species, enhances adaptation to water deficit, but the physiological and molecular advantages need to be investigated widely. Cassava (Manihot esculenta Grantz) is a diploid plant (2n = 2× = 36) and an important cash and energy crop cultivated in Asia, Africa, and Latin America for its storage roots, making it critical for food security and economic development [1]. Water scarcity harms production when cassava is cultivated in severely waterdeficit regions, and cassava can tolerant a wide. Drought stress increases oxidative damage in plants [3] and reduces photosynthesis [4, 5]. Xiao et al BMC Genomics (2019) 20:514 oxidative damage to plant cells. Antioxidant enzymes scavenge excess H2O2 and other ROS to protect plant cells from damage [10, 11]
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