Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is an important forage legume in farming and animal husbandry systems. In this study, MiSeq high-throughput sequencing was applied to assess the relationship between bacterial and fungal community structures and alfalfa growth characteristics and soil physical and chemical properties induced by different cultivars alfalfa (Victoria, Kangsai, Aohan) in the grey desert soil. The results showed that the diversity of bacterial and fungal in Victoria was higher, and the bacterial diversity was significantly lower for alfalfa with Aohan than for the others, and the fungal diversity was lower for alfalfa with Kangsai than for the others. Heatmap showed that total nitrogen, fresh weight, pH and organic have significantly affect fungal community structure, whereas pH and organic carbon also significant effects on bacterial community structure. LefSe analysis showed that the growth adaptability of introduced alfalfa is mainly related to fungal and bacterial species, and the beneficial microorganisms with significant differences and relative high abundance are significantly enriched in Victoria. Pathogens with high relative abundance are mainly concentrated in Aohan alfalfa soil. Based on our findings, Victoria is the high-yield alfalfa suitable for planting in gray desert soil, while planting Kangsai and Aohan alfalfa needs probiotic for adjuvant.
Background
Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is a kind of forage with high relative feeding value in farming and livestock breeding, and is of great significance to the development of animal husbandry. The growth of the aboveground part of alfalfa is an important factor that limits crop yield. Clarifying the molecular mechanisms that maintain vigorous growth in alfalfa may contribute to the development of molecular breeding for this crop.
Methods
Here, we evaluated the growth phenotypes of five cultivars of alfalfa (WL 712, WL 525HQ, Victoria, Knight 2, and Aohan). Then RNA-seq was performed on the stems of WL 712, chosen as a fast growing cultivar, and Aohan, chosen as a slow growing cultivar. GO enrichment analysis was conducted on all differentially expressed genes (DEGs).
Result
Among the differentially expressed genes that were up-regulated in the fast growing cultivar, GO analysis revealed enrichment in the following seven categories: formation of water-conducting tissue in vascular plants, biosynthesis and degradation of lignin, formation of the primary or secondary cell wall, cell enlargement and plant growth, cell division and shoot initiation, stem growth and induced germination, and cell elongation. KEGG analysis showed that differentially expressed genes were annotated as being involved in plant hormone signal transduction, photosynthesis, and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. KEGG analysis also showed that up-regulated in the fast growing cultivar were members of the WRKY family of transcription factors related to plant growth and development, members of the NAC and MYB gene families related to the synthesis of cellulose and hemicellulose, and the development of secondary cell wall fibres, and finally, MYB family members that are involved in plant growth regulation. Our research results not only enrich the transcriptome database of alfalfa, but also provide valuable information for explaining the molecular mechanism of fast growth, and can provide reference for the production of alfalfa.
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