Abstract
Litchi (Litchi chinesis Sonn.) is the most economically significant member of Sapindaceae family, especially in sub-tropical regions. However, its tall tree body often brings many inconveniences to production management. In order to modify the tree size or growth for productivity optimization and simplifying management, it is urgent to reveal the dwarf mechanism of litchi for dwarfing rootstocks or cultivar breeding. However, to date, the mechanisms on litchi dwarfism is still poor known. In the present study, transcriptome profiling were performed on L. chinensis cv. ‘Feizixiao’ (FZX, vigorous cultivar) and ‘Ziniangxi’ (ZNX, dwarf cultivar). A total of 55,810 unigenes were obtained, and 9,190 unigenes were differentially expressed between vigorous and dwarf litchi samples. Gene functional enrichment analysis indicated that the differentially expressed unigenes (DEGs) were related to phytohormone metabolism and signal transduction, and energy metabolism pathways. In particular, GA2ox were only up-regulated in ZNX samples, indicating GA might play an important role in regulating huge difference between vigorous and dwarf litchi cultivars. In addition, the 35S::LcGA2ox transgenic tobacco plants were dwarf and had smaller leaves or branches than wild type plants. Our study provided a series of candidate genes to reveal the mechanism of litchi dwarf.
Highlights
In fruit production, tree architecture requires unique horticultural practices, including grafting, pruning, and training [1]
Leaf area was smaller in in transgenic plants compared with the wildtype (Table 4). These results showed that ectopic overexpression of LcGA2ox genes in tobacco leads to the dwarf phenotype in transgenic plants
Transcriptome analysis of differentially expressed genes between FZX and ZNX revealed interesting genes that might provide some clues revealing the mechanisms of litchi dwarfism
Summary
Tree architecture requires unique horticultural practices, including grafting, pruning, and training [1]. These practices need to be designed to maximize productivity for a minimum of expense. Due to the high cost of labor, especially in developed countries, the modifying of tree size or growth is critical for productivity optimization and simplifying management [2]. Dwarfing rootstocks and/or interstocks have been available and widely used for fruit and nut trees to create orchards with smaller and easier-to-handle trees [3].
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
