Center of Excellence in Genomics & Systems Biology, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Patancheru 502324, India.
Murdoch's Centre for Crop & Food Innovation, State Agricultural Biotechnology Centre, Food Futures Institute, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia.
Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Jan 10;24(2):1369. doi: 10.3390/ijms24021369.
Chickpea ( L.) production is highly susceptible to heat stress (day/night temperatures above 32/20 °C). Identifying the molecular mechanisms and potential candidate genes underlying heat stress response is important for increasing chickpea productivity. Here, we used an RNA-seq approach to investigate the transcriptome dynamics of 48 samples which include the leaf and root tissues of six contrasting heat stress responsive chickpea genotypes at the vegetative and reproductive stages of plant development. A total of 14,544 unique, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified across different combinations studied. These DEGs were mainly involved in metabolic processes, cell wall remodeling, calcium signaling, and photosynthesis. Pathway analysis revealed the enrichment of metabolic pathways, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, and plant hormone signal transduction, under heat stress conditions. Furthermore, heat-responsive genes encoding bHLH, ERF, WRKY, and MYB transcription factors were differentially regulated in response to heat stress, and candidate genes underlying the quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for heat tolerance component traits, which showed differential gene expression across tolerant and sensitive genotypes, were identified. Our study provides an important resource for dissecting the role of candidate genes associated with heat stress response and also paves the way for developing climate-resilient chickpea varieties for the future.
鹰嘴豆（L.）的生产对热应激（白天/夜间温度高于 32/20°C）非常敏感。鉴定热应激反应的分子机制和潜在候选基因对于提高鹰嘴豆的生产力非常重要。在这里，我们使用 RNA-seq 方法研究了 48 个样本的转录组动态，这些样本包括植物生长发育的营养和生殖阶段的六个具有不同热应激响应的鹰嘴豆基因型的叶片和根组织。在不同的研究组合中总共鉴定出了 14544 个独特的、差异表达的基因（DEGs）。这些 DEGs 主要参与代谢过程、细胞壁重塑、钙信号转导和光合作用。通路分析显示，在热应激条件下，代谢途径、次生代谢物的生物合成和植物激素信号转导得到了富集。此外，热响应基因编码 bHLH、ERF、WRKY 和 MYB 转录因子，这些基因对热应激有差异调节，并且鉴定出了与耐热性组成性状相关的数量性状位点（QTLs）的候选基因，这些基因在耐温和敏感基因型之间表现出差异表达。我们的研究为解析与热应激反应相关的候选基因的作用提供了重要资源，并为未来开发具有抗气候能力的鹰嘴豆品种铺平了道路。
