Abstract
The pineapple (Ananas comosus) is cold sensitive. Most cultivars are injured during winter periods, especially in sub-tropical regions. There is a lack of molecular information on the pineapple’s response to cold stress. In this study, high-throughput transcriptome sequencing and gene expression analysis were performed on plantlets of a cold-tolerant genotype of the pineapple cultivar ‘Shenwan’ before and after cold treatment. A total of 1,186 candidate cold responsive genes were identified, and their credibility was confirmed by RT-qPCR. Gene set functional enrichment analysis indicated that genes related to cell wall properties, stomatal closure and ABA and ROS signal transduction play important roles in pineapple cold tolerance. In addition, a protein association network of CORs (cold responsive genes) was predicted, which could serve as an entry point to dissect the complex cold response network. Our study found a series of candidate genes and their association network, which will be helpful to cold stress response studies and pineapple breeding for cold tolerance.
Highlights
Abiotic stress, including drought, extreme temperatures, flooding and chemical toxicity, is the principal cause of crop failure worldwide, reducing average yields for most major crops by more than 50%[1]
It is essential to reveal the molecular mechanisms of crop plants in response to cold stress, which is helpful for breeding cold-tolerant crop plants, and reducing production loss and expanding crop cultivation areas
The results indicated that a similar change in the cell wall of pineapple as in hardy plants occurs when subjected to cold stress[27]
Summary
Abiotic stress, including drought, extreme temperatures, flooding and chemical toxicity, is the principal cause of crop failure worldwide, reducing average yields for most major crops by more than 50%[1]. Cold stress, which occurs annually with winter, is among the most intimidating forms of abiotic stress. It adversely affects plant growth and development and thereby limits the distribution of crop species[3]. The response to cold stress differs among species[4] and genotypes[5]. Hardy plants or cold-tolerant genotypes grow properly, while others are severely injured or die. It is essential to reveal the molecular mechanisms of crop plants in response to cold stress, which is helpful for breeding cold-tolerant crop plants, and reducing production loss and expanding crop cultivation areas
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