Abstract
Sprouting is a key factor affecting the quality of potato tubers. The present study aimed to compare the differential expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in the apical meristem during the dormancy release and sprouting stages by using lncRNA sequencing. Microscopic observations and Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses revealed the changes in the morphology and expression of lncRNAs in potato tubers during sprouting. Meristematic cells of potato tuber apical buds divided continuously and exhibited vegetative cone bulging and vascularisation. In all, 3175 lncRNAs were identified from the apical buds of potato tubers, among which 383 lncRNAs were up-regulated and 340 were down-regulated during sprouting. The GO enrichment analysis revealed that sprouting mainly influenced the expression of lncRNAs related to the cellular components of potato apical buds (e.g., cytoplasm and organelles) and cellular metabolic processes. The KEGG enrichment analysis also showed significant enrichment of specific metabolic pathways. In addition, 386 differentially expressed lncRNAs during sprouting were identified as putative targets of 235 potato miRNAs. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction results agreed with the sequencing data. Our study provides the first systematic study of numerous lncRNAs involved in the potato tuber sprouting process and lays the foundation for further studies to elucidate their precise functions.
Highlights
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), a perennial herbaceous plant with edible tubers, belongs to the Solanaceae family [1]
Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis revealed that sprouting mainly leads to changes in the expression of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) associated with cellular components of potato apical buds as well as biological processes such as cellular metabolic processes
This study revealed changes in the morphology and expression of lncRNAs during the sprouting of potato tubers
Summary
Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), a perennial herbaceous plant with edible tubers, belongs to the Solanaceae family [1]. Potato tubers contain large quantities of starch, which is the main energy source of edible potatoes, and their proteins have high nutritional quality, since they are digested and absorbed [4]. Sprouting results in high respiration rate and depletion of potato tuber compounds such as starch, proteins, and vitamins, and it leads to the accelerated loss of water, which results in lower tuber quality and mass [5]. Sprouting causes a significant increase in the contents of glycoalkaloids (e.g., α-solanine and α-chaconine), which affect potato tubers’ palatability and food safety [6,7]. When the contents of glycoalkaloids in potato tubers reach 0.10–0.15 mg/g fresh weight (FW), obvious bitterness is noted, and levels exceeding 0.2 mg/g FW cause food poisoning in humans and animals that consume the tubers [8,9]. Liu et al [10] found that superoxide anion and hydrogen peroxide accumulated in tuber buds, and that antioxidant compounds and enzymes showed important changes during potato tuber sprouting
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