In:
Frontiers in Plant Science, Frontiers Media SA, Vol. 12 ( 2021-10-28)
Abstract:
Populus trichocarpa has been studied as a model poplar species through biomolecular approaches and was the first tree species to be genome sequenced. In this study, we employed a high throughput RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) mediated leaf transcriptome analysis to investigate the response of four different Populus davidiana cultivars to drought stress. Following the RNA-seq, we compared the transcriptome profiles and identified two differentially expressed genes (DEGs) with contrasting expression patterns in the drought-sensitive and tolerant groups, i.e., upregulated in the drought-tolerant P. davidiana groups but downregulated in the sensitive group. Both these genes encode a 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase ( NCED ), a key enzyme required for abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis. The high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) measurements showed a significantly higher ABA accumulation in the cultivars of the drought-tolerant group following dehydration. The Arabidopsis nced3 loss-of-function mutants showed a significantly higher sensitivity to drought stress, ~90% of these plants died after 9 days of drought stress treatment. The real-time PCR analysis of several key genes indicated a strict regulation of drought stress at the transcriptional level in the P. davidiana drought-tolerant cultivars. The transgenic P. davidiana NCED3 overexpressing (OE) plants were significantly more tolerant to drought stress as compared with the NCED knock-down RNA interference (RNAi) lines. Further, the NCED OE plants accumulated a significantly higher quantity of ABA and exhibited strict regulation of drought stress at the transcriptional level. Furthermore, we identified several key differences in the amino acid sequence, predicted structure, and co-factor/ligand binding activity of NCED3 between drought-tolerant and susceptible P. davidiana cultivars. Here, we presented the first evidence of the significant role of NCED genes in regulating ABA-dependent drought stress responses in the forest tree P. davidiana and uncovered the molecular basis of NCED3 evolution associated with increased drought tolerance.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1664-462X
DOI:
10.3389/fpls.2021.755539
DOI:
10.3389/fpls.2021.755539.s001
DOI:
10.3389/fpls.2021.755539.s002
DOI:
10.3389/fpls.2021.755539.s003
DOI:
10.3389/fpls.2021.755539.s004
DOI:
10.3389/fpls.2021.755539.s005
DOI:
10.3389/fpls.2021.755539.s006
DOI:
10.3389/fpls.2021.755539.s007
DOI:
10.3389/fpls.2021.755539.s008
DOI:
10.3389/fpls.2021.755539.s009
Language:
Unknown
Publisher:
Frontiers Media SA
Publication Date:
2021
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2687947-5
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2613694-6
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