Foysal Md Rafat Al, Qiu Cheng-Wei, Wu Feibo
Department of Agronomy, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
Department of Agronomy and Haor Agriculture, Faculty of Agriculture, Sylhet Agricultural University, Sylhet, Bangladesh.
Front Plant Sci. 2025 May 22;16:1572490. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1572490. eCollection 2025.
Cadmium (Cd) is one of the most hazardous and persistent heavy metal pollutants globally. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) play a crucial role in regulating plant gene expression under various abiotic stress conditions. This study investigated the response of the lncRNA transcriptome in the roots of two contrasting Tibetan hull-less barley genotypes, X178 (Cd-tolerant) and X38 (Cd-sensitive), to Cd stress using RNA sequencing. A total of 8299 novel lncRNAs were identified, with 5166 unique target genes associated with 2571 unique lncRNAs. Among these, 1884 target genes were regulated by cis-acting lncRNAs, while 3428 were regulated by trans-acting lncRNAs. By analyzing differential expression profiles in the two genotypes under Cd stress, 26 lncRNAs and 150 mRNAs were identified as potentially linked to Cd tolerance. Functional enrichment analysis revealed that the target genes were significantly enriched in detoxification and stress response functions, including pathways related to phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, ABC transporters, and secondary metabolites. Additionally, 12 lncRNAs forming 18 lncRNA-mRNA pairs were identified as key regulators of Cd tolerance. The functional roles of these lncRNA-mRNA interactions suggest that they modulate proteins such as DJ-1, EDR, PHT, and ABC transporters, which may contribute to the Cd tolerance observed in genotype X178. High-throughput sequencing results were validated by qRT-PCR. These findings deepen our understanding of lncRNAs as critical regulators of Cd tolerance in plants, offering valuable insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying heavy metal stress responses in crops.
镉（Cd）是全球最具危害性且持久性的重金属污染物之一。长链非编码RNA（lncRNAs）在各种非生物胁迫条件下调节植物基因表达中发挥着关键作用。本研究利用RNA测序技术，调查了两种对比鲜明的西藏裸大麦基因型X178（耐镉）和X38（镉敏感）的根系lncRNA转录组对镉胁迫的响应。共鉴定出8299个新的lncRNAs，其中5166个独特的靶基因与2571个独特的lncRNAs相关。其中，1884个靶基因受顺式作用lncRNAs调控，3428个受反式作用lncRNAs调控。通过分析两种基因型在镉胁迫下的差异表达谱，鉴定出26个lncRNAs和150个mRNA可能与耐镉性有关。功能富集分析表明，靶基因在解毒和应激反应功能中显著富集，包括与苯丙氨酸、酪氨酸、色氨酸、ABC转运蛋白和次生代谢物相关的途径。此外，形成18个lncRNA - mRNA对的12个lncRNAs被鉴定为耐镉性的关键调节因子。这些lncRNA - mRNA相互作用的功能作用表明，它们调节DJ - 1、EDR、PHT和ABC转运蛋白等蛋白质，这可能有助于基因型X178中观察到的耐镉性。高通量测序结果通过qRT - PCR得到验证。这些发现加深了我们对lncRNAs作为植物耐镉性关键调节因子的理解，为作物重金属胁迫反应的分子机制提供了有价值的见解。
