Leaf-transcriptome profiles of phoebe bournei provide insights into temporal drought stress responses

Abstract

Phoebe bournei (Hemsl.) Yang is used as a commercial wood in China and is enlisted as a near-threatened species. Prolonged droughts pose a serious threat to young seedlings (1-2 years old). A transcriptome sequencing approach, together with the measurement of growth parameters and biochemical analyses were used to understand P. bournei’s drought responses on 15d, 30d, and 45d of drought stress treatment. The stem and root dry weights decreased significantly with drought stress duration. Activities of antioxidative enzymes i.e., peroxidase (POD), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT) increased significantly with the increase in drought stress duration. A total of 13,274, 15,648, and 9,949 genes were differentially expressed in CKvs15d, CKvs30d, and CKvs45d, respectively. The differential expression analyses showed that photosystem I and II underwent structural changes, chlorophyll biosynthesis, and photosynthesis were reduced. The genes annotated as POD, SOD, and CAT were upregulated in drought-treated leaves as compared to control. Additionally, plant-hormone signal transduction, MAPK signaling-plant, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, flavonoid biosynthesis, and starch and sucrose metabolism pathways showed large-scale expression changes in major genes. We also found that members of 25 transcription factor families were differentially expressed. Our study presents and discusses these transcriptome signatures. Overall, our findings represent key data for breeding towards drought stress tolerance in P. bournei.

Physiological responses to drought stress of three pine species and comparative transcriptome analysis of Pinus yunnanensis var. pygmaea

“…DEGs were enriched in soluble sugar-related and cell wall-related processes in P. massoniana under drought [ 58 ] . Drought stress inhibited the synthesis of Chla, Chlb and photosynthesis in Phoebe bournei [ 59 ]. In our study, the genes on the “Porphyrin and Chlorophyll metabolism” (ko00860) pathway were suppressed.…”

Co-expression network analysis reveals PbTGA4 and PbAPRR2 as core transcription factors of drought response in an important timber species Phoebe bournei

“…A recent survey of species distribution patterns showed that P. bournei is mainly distributed in the subtropics, with an annual average temperature of 15°C to 20°C and yearly precipitation of approximately 1505 mm ( Ge et al., 2014 ). Frequent extreme climate conditions and water scarcity have reduced the suitable areas for P. bournei , making afforestation difficult ( Li et al., 2022 ). Thus, it is essential to understand the regulatory mechanism of the stress response in P. bournei .…”

Genome-Wide Identification, Characterization, and Expression Analysis of the BES1 Family Genes under Abiotic Stresses in Phoebe bournei

“…P. bournei grows in monsoon climates with abundant precipitation. However, its growth is affected by droughts and prolonged summers [ 49 ]. Studies have shown that global warming, caused by the rising global carbon dioxide concentrations due to the combustion of industrial fuels, significantly affects the incidence of forest fires and the efficiency of photosynthesis in forest trees [ 50 , 51 ].…”

“…Studies have shown that global warming, caused by the rising global carbon dioxide concentrations due to the combustion of industrial fuels, significantly affects the incidence of forest fires and the efficiency of photosynthesis in forest trees [ 50 , 51 ]. Additionally, global warming contributes to the dryness of the climate [ 49 ]. Drought has a significant impact on the dry weight of stems and roots, as well as chlorophyll synthesis and photosynthesis in P. bournei [ 52 ].…”