Differential expression of photosynthesis-related genes and quantification of gas exchange in rice plants under abiotic stress

Abstract

Abiotic stresses caused by excessive cold, iron, and salt are among the main growth and yield-limiting factors of rice. Among the metabolic processes, photosynthesis stands out for being closely related to crop yields, causing a yield decline by reduced photosynthetic capacity in plants under abiotic stresses. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differential expression of chloroplast genes involved in photosynthesis by RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and quantify gas exchanges in leaves of rice plants exposed to cold, iron, and salt stress for 24 h. Of all genes expressed in each stress, cold had the highest number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) related to light and chloroplast reactions, with 535 mostly down-regulated genes. Salt and iron stress was associated with 309 and 115 genes, respectively, involved in light reactions and chloroplast. The three stresses had transcripts with GOs related to light reactions, all with more than ten different GO terms. With regard to chloroplast, cold and salt stress had 12 terms of GO, and iron stress has 9 terms of GO. For gas exchange, only the parameter net assimilation rate differed significantly between stresses, with the lowest mean under cold stress. The results showed that cold stress affects photosynthesis most drastically, both at the molecular and the physiological level, and despite decreases in the net assimilation rate, changes under iron and salt stress were minor, which may be related to the tolerance of cultivar BRS Querencia.