Phenotypic, Transcriptomic, and Metabolomic Signatures of Root-Specifically Overexpressed in Rice.

Cytokinins are crucial signaling molecules that regulate plant growth and development. irreversibly degrades nucleobase cytokinins by encoding cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase to control grain production in rice. In this study, was specifically overexpressed in roots using promoter to investigate the effects of root-source cytokinins on the growth of rice. overexpressed (OE) rice showed retarded growth with lower cytokinin levels and biomass production. Shoot-specific transcriptome analysis between OE rice and wild type (WT) revealed differentially expressed genes (DEGs) associated with cell division, cell wall structure, phytohormone signaling, and assimilation and catabolism. Metabolome analysis indicated that a majority of differential primary metabolites, such as amino acids and organic acids, increased, while lipids decreased in OE rice. Integration of transcriptomic and metabolomic data showed that several DEGs and differential metabolites were related to glycolysis and tricarboxylic acid cycle (TCA). To conclude, reduced cytokinin levels via root-specific overexpression of resulted in developmental defects, which confirmed the importance of root-source cytokinins in plant growth and morphogenesis.