Comparative transcriptomic and physiological analyses of weedy rice and cultivated rice to identify vital differentially expressed genes and pathways regulating the ABA response

Hong Lang,Minghui Zhao,Dianrong Ma,Yuting He,Fan Xu,Faliang Zeng

doi:10.1038/s41598-021-92504-5

Hong Lang, Minghui Zhao + Show 4 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-92504-5

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Abstract

Weedy rice is a valuable germplasm resource characterized by its high tolerance to both abiotic and biotic stresses. Abscisic acid (ABA) serves as a regulatory signal in plant cells as part of their adaptive response to stress. However, a global understanding of the response of weedy rice to ABA remains to be elucidated. In the present study, the sensitivity to ABA of weedy rice (WR04-6) was compared with that of temperate japonica Shennong9816 (SN9816) in terms of seed germination and post-germination growth via the application of exogenous ABA and diniconazole, an inhibitor of ABA catabolism. Physiological analysis and a transcriptomic comparison allowed elucidation of the molecular and physiological mechanisms associated with continuous ABA and diniconazole treatment. WR04-6 was found to display higher ABA sensitivity than SN9816, resulting in the rapid promotion of antioxidant enzyme activity. Comparative transcriptomic analyses indicated that the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in WR04-6 seedlings treated with 2 μM ABA or 10 μM diniconazole was greater than that in SN9816 seedlings. Genes involved in stress defense, hormone signal transduction, and glycolytic and citrate cycle pathways were highly expressed in WR04-6 in response to ABA and diniconazole. These findings provide new insight into key processes mediating the ABA response between weedy and cultivated rice.

Highlights

Weedy rice is a valuable germplasm resource characterized by its high tolerance to both abiotic and biotic stresses
Homogeneity of variance test (p > 0.05), frequency test (Skewness and Kurtosis values were less than 1), and single-sample K–S test (Z and P values were more than 0.05) showed that the phenotypic data were in line with normal distribution, and the results of analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicated the significant difference on germination rate of WR04-6 and SN9816 after Abscisic acid (ABA) and diniconazole treatment
The proportion of germinated seeds decreased significantly when seeds were treated with ABA in a concentration-dependent manner (Fig. 1a)

Summary

Introduction

Weedy rice is a valuable germplasm resource characterized by its high tolerance to both abiotic and biotic stresses. Genes involved in stress defense, hormone signal transduction, and glycolytic and citrate cycle pathways were highly expressed in WR04-6 in response to ABA and diniconazole. These findings provide new insight into key processes mediating the ABA response between weedy and cultivated rice. Weedy rice displays significant versatility in its adaption to a wide range of adverse conditions It has many useful stress-related genes that respond to biotic and abiotic stresses[7]. Dehydration-responsive element-binding (DREB) transcription factors play a crucial role in plant growth, development, and stress responses They function as components of both ABA-dependent and ABA-independent pathways in response to abiotic s tress[22]. ABA 8ʹ-hydroxylase plays an important role in controlling ABA homeostasis when experiencing abiotic stress

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