Transcriptome Analysis of Root Development in Wheat Triticum Aestivum Using High Throughtput Sequencing Technologies

Author

Ghana Challa, South Dakota State UniversityFollow

Document Type

Dissertation - Open Access

Award Date

2018

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department / School

Biology and Microbiology

First Advisor

Wanlong Li

Keywords

gene expression, microRNA, RNA-Seq, root development, Transcriptome, Wheat

Abstract

Root provides plant water, nutrients and anchorage from soil. Most our knowledge of molecular mechanisms of root development is from the dicot model plant Arabidopsis, but very few studies have done in monocot crop systems like rice, maize, and wheat. We are studying very short root (VSR) phenotype in wheat, and lack of a sequenced reference genome in wheat prompted us to sequence and assemble the root transcriptome of the reference cultivar Chinese Spring (CS). A root transcriptome was assembled from the sequenced reads generated from root tip and the mature root tissues of CS. Approximately 169 million reads were successfully assembled into ~91K transcripts coding for functional proteins. Of these ~91K transcripts, 1,728 were differentially expressed in root tip as compared to the rest of the mature tissues. Generation of the root reference transcriptome and the availability of a reasonable reference genome sequence for wheat enabled us to analyze the gene expression in the long root (LR) and VSR. A total of 4,412 genes were differentially expressed in the VSR compared to the LR root tips. A significant portion of the differentially expressed genes functioning in the hormonal responses, regulation of transcription, defense response, reactive oxygen species (ROS), abiotic stress response, lignin biosynthesis, calcium signaling, and autophagy pathways were induced. In addition, several negative regulators of cell proliferation, including homologs of the BIGBROTHER E3 ubiquitin ligase, and negative regulators of root cell elongation, such as genes encoding the FERONIA kinases and a RALF peptide hormone, were also up-regulated in VSR. Consistent with this, a large number of genes for chromatin replication and protein syntheses, including those coding for histones and ribosomal proteins, and cell wall remodeling enzymes, were down-regulated in VSR. The ROS and lignin accumulation in the VSR were further validated by histochemical staining. This research revealed several molecular mechanisms of root development, based on which a working model was proposed to explain the VSR development. Although the related pathways identified in Arabidopsis may play a similar role in wheat, the VSR phenotype is probably governed by a unique mechanism that may be cereal- or wheat-specific.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Wheat -- Genetics.
Wheat -- Roots.
Gene expression.
Transcription factors.

Description

Includes bibliographical references

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

202

Publisher

South Dakota State University

Recommended Citation

Challa, Ghana, "Transcriptome Analysis of Root Development in Wheat Triticum Aestivum Using High Throughtput Sequencing Technologies" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2655.
https://openprairie.sdstate.edu/etd/2655