Comparative Transcriptome Analysis of Winter Wheat under Different Levels of Shading

Xiaorong Li; Jianfeng Li; Hongzhi Zhang; Lihong Wang; Zhong Wang; Yueqiang Zhang; Zheru Fan; Jia Shi; Qi Zhao

doi:10.17957/IJAB/15.1442

Xiaorong Li Institute of Nuclear and Biological Technology, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Urumqi 830091,China

Jianfeng Li Institute of Nuclear and Biological Technology, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, China; Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Desert Oasis Region, Ministry of Agriculture, P.R. China, Urumqi, China

Hongzhi Zhang Institute of Nuclear and Biological Technology, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, China; Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Desert Oasis Region, Ministry of Agriculture,P.R. China, Urumqi, China

Lihong Wang Institute of Nuclear and Biological Technology, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Urumqi, China; Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Desert Oasis Region, Ministry of Agriculture, P.R. China, Urumqi, China

Zhong Wang Institute of Nuclear and Biological Technology, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Urumqi, China; Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Desert Oasis Region, Ministry of Agriculture, P.R. China, Urumqi, China

Yueqiang Zhang Institute of Nuclear and Biological Technology, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Urumqi, China; Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Desert Oasis Region, Ministry of Agriculture, P.R. China, Urumqi, China

Zheru Fan Institute of Nuclear and Biological Technology, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Urumqi, China; Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Desert Oasis Region, Ministry of Agriculture, P.R. China, Urumqi, China

Jia Shi Institute of Nuclear and Biological Technology, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Urumqi, China; Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Desert Oasis Region, Ministry of Agriculture, P.R. China, Urumqi, China

Qi Zhao Institute of Nuclear and Biological Technology, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Urumqi, China; Key Laboratory of Crop Ecophysiology and Farming System in Desert Oasis Region, Ministry of Agriculture, P.R. China, Urumqi, China

Wheat-based intercropping systems are widely applied by farmers to improve the land equivalent ratio. However, intercropping leads to shading of wheat and the grain yield might be decreased due to reduced photosynthetic rate and leaf area index. This study was conducted to investigate the changes on transcriptional profile of wheat leaves in response to different levels of shading. Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L. 'Xindong 20') was planted under three shading levels, namely, no-shading (control), 25% shading, and 75% shading. The dry weight of wheat plants was determined at flowering and maturity periods. The photosynthetic rate of flag leaves was determined at flowering and filling stages. Flag leaves from each group were collected at the heading stage for RNA sequencing. Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to validate the results of RNA sequencing. Wheat plants had longer growth period, decreased dry weight and photosynthetic rate of flag leaves under different levels of shading. A total of 12,597 and 28,349 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in 25% shading group and 75% shading group, respectively. Functional enrichment analyses suggested that upregulated genes in 25% shading group were mainly involved in regulating cell homeostasis, especially in redox homeostasis. The upregulated genes in the 75% shading group were involved in nitrogen compound metabolic process. In addition, the downregulated genes of the two groups were both enriched in phosphorus metabolic processes. A total of 2,015 unigenes were identified as transcription factors. Ten of 16 DEGs (At3g21620, ETR1, 1-SST, PSB28, HEMH, Os10g0493600, 6-FEH, CIN2, PORA, and CPX) involved in porphyrin and chlorophyll metabolism, photosynthesis, and galactose metabolism were successfully validated by qRT-PCR. In conclusion, these data, revealed transcriptional dynamics of wheat under different shading levels, will provide essential clues for deciphering the gene regulatory networks mediating the wheat response to shading, especially at heading stage.