Sherwood Orla L, Burke Rory, O'Rourke Jennifer, Whelan Conor V, Downey Frances, Ryan Louise, McCabe Eoin F, Huang Zixia, Ng Carl K Y, McCabe Paul F, Kacprzyk Joanna
School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Dublin 4, Ireland.
Ann Bot. 2025 Jun 18. doi: 10.1093/aob/mcaf104.
The frequency of extreme precipitation events is predicted to increase due to climate change, leading to soil waterlogging and crop yield losses, particularly in the case of susceptible species such as barley (Hordeum vulgare). Aerenchyma formation is a key morphological adaptation to waterlogging stress and hypoxic conditions, however, its genetic regulation in barley remains largely unresolved. The aim of this study was to address this knowledge gap and characterize the transcriptional signatures associated with waterlogging stress response and aerenchyma formation in barley roots.
Two barley cultivars (Franklin and Yerong) were subjected to waterlogging stress, followed by analysis of phenotypic traits including root aerenchyma formation, and transcriptomic profiling of root tissue. Differential gene expression analysis and gene regulatory network construction were carried out using generated RNA-seq datasets.
Performed analyses identified genes transcriptionally responsive to 24 and 72 h of waterlogging in both cultivars, and highlighted metabolic adaptations, regulation of ROS signalling and management of stress responses as key elements of the waterlogging response in barley roots. Large intra-individual variation was observed for root aerenchyma formation. This variation was exploited to identify 81 candidate aerenchyma-associated genes and ascertain pathways involved in aerenchyma formation. Further, network analyses suggested that DNA damage response gene, DRT100 and cell wall modifying genes: XTH16, XTH15 are regulatory hub genes in aerenchyma formation.
This study provides new insights into transcriptional signatures associated with waterlogging responses and aerenchyma formation in barley roots. Identified candidate aerenchyma associated genes offer new targets for future research and breeding efforts aimed at enhancing waterlogging tolerance in this crop species.
由于气候变化，极端降水事件的频率预计将会增加，从而导致土壤积水和作物产量损失，对于像大麦（Hordeum vulgare）这样的易感物种而言尤其如此。通气组织的形成是对渍水胁迫和缺氧条件的一种关键形态适应，然而，其在大麦中的遗传调控在很大程度上仍未得到解决。本研究的目的是填补这一知识空白，并表征与大麦根中渍水胁迫响应和通气组织形成相关的转录特征。
对两个大麦品种（富兰克林和耶荣）进行渍水胁迫处理，随后分析包括根通气组织形成在内的表型性状以及根组织的转录组图谱。使用生成的RNA测序数据集进行差异基因表达分析和基因调控网络构建。
进行的分析确定了两个品种中对24小时和72小时渍水有转录响应的基因，并强调了代谢适应、活性氧信号调控和胁迫反应管理是大麦根渍水响应的关键要素。观察到根通气组织形成存在较大的个体内变异。利用这种变异来鉴定81个与通气组织相关的候选基因，并确定参与通气组织形成的途径。此外，网络分析表明，DNA损伤反应基因DRT100和细胞壁修饰基因XTH16、XTH15是通气组织形成中的调控枢纽基因。
本研究为与大麦根渍水响应和通气组织形成相关的转录特征提供了新的见解。鉴定出的与通气组织相关的候选基因为未来旨在提高该作物品种耐渍性的研究和育种工作提供了新的靶点。
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