Abstract
Camellia japonica var. decumbens is a naturally occurring highly cold resistant variety of Camellia japonica which is suitable for snowy and cold regions. However, the underlying cold-adaptive mechanisms associated with gene regulation have been poorly investigated. We analyzed the transcriptomic changes caused by cold stress in a cold-tolerant accession. Samples were collected at the end of each temperature treatment (T1, T3, T5, T7 and T9 represent the temperatures 25°C, 0°C, -4°C, -8°C and -12°C, respectively). Sample T1 at 25°C was used as control. Based on transcriptome analysis, 2828, 2384, 3099 and 3075 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were up-regulated, and 3184, 2592, 2373 and 2615 DEGs were down-regulated by analyzing T3/T1, T5/T1, T7/T1 and T9/T1, respectively. A gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed an enrichment of GO terms such as response to stimulus, metabolic process, catalytic activity or binding. Out of the larger number of DEGs, 67 functional and regulatory DEGs stood out, since they were functionally characterized in other models. These genes are cold-responsive transcription factors (26) or involved in cold sensor or signal transduction (17) and in the stabilization of the plasma membrane and osmosensing response (24). These results suggest rapid and multiple molecular mechanisms of perception, transduction and responses to cold stress in cold acclimation of Camellia japonica var. decumbens. They could also serve as a valuable resource for relevant research on cold-tolerance and help to explore cold-related genes to foster the understanding of low-temperature tolerance and plant-environment interactions.
Highlights
Low temperature is one of the major environmental factors limiting the growth, development and geographical distribution of plants (Thomashow 1999)
This study used C. japonica var. decumbens distributed in Japan’s northernmost regions as experimental materials to study the transcriptome under different cold stress and aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance in C. japonica var. decumbens to provide a reference for applications in production and breeding
The relative conductivity of C. japonica var. decumbens was analyzed by the logistic equation for regression analysis, and the inflection point temperature was used to determine the LT50 of the leaves
Summary
Low temperature is one of the major environmental factors limiting the growth, development and geographical distribution of plants (Thomashow 1999). Decumbens is a naturally occurring variety of C. japonica which is primarily distributed in the Akita and Shiga prefectures in Iwate (39°N), Japan. This variety is suitable for snowy and cold zones and has a strong cold resistance (Lin 1994). Li et al (2016) investigated a cold acclimation-related transcriptome of a cold tolerant C. japonica cultivar Both 1-year-old herbs and perennial woody plants have low-temperature mechanisms, woody plants have the ability to survive long periods of low temperature, extremely low temperatures, and intra-tissue icing, while 1-year-old herbs often do not have this ability. Decumbens distributed in Japan’s northernmost regions as experimental materials to study the transcriptome under different cold stress and aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance in C. japonica var. This study used C. japonica var. decumbens distributed in Japan’s northernmost regions as experimental materials to study the transcriptome under different cold stress and aimed to explore the molecular mechanisms of cold tolerance in C. japonica var. decumbens to provide a reference for applications in production and breeding
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