Chinese Bulletin of Botany ›› 2015, Vol. 50 ›› Issue (3): 321-330.DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1259.2015.00321

• EXPERIMENTAL COMMUNICATIONS • Previous Articles     Next Articles

RNA-sequencing Analysis of Differentially Expressed Genes in Wild-type and BnERF-transgenic Arabidopsis Under Submergence Treatment

Yanyan Lü, Sanxiong Fu, Song Chen, Wei Zhang, Cunkou Qi*   

  1. Institute of Industrial Crops, Jiangsu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanjing 210014, China
  • Received:2014-05-05 Revised:2014-08-25 Online:2015-05-01 Published:2015-04-08

Abstract: RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) was used to analyze differential gene expression in the wild-type (WT) and BnERF-transgenic Arabidopsis (E33) after 6 h submergence treatment to find pathways involved in defense against submergence treatment regulated by BnERF. E33 showed more tolerance with stronger shoot and root growth than the WT under 3 d submergence. Nine genes were specifically upregulated in E33 without submergence treatment as compared with the WT. Four genes encoded membrane-bound proteins and two of these participated in the mitogen-activated protein kinase cascade; the other five were involved in oxidative stress and water regulatory pathways. Genes responsive to hypoxia, antioxidant defense and plant development were upregulated in E33 under the control condition or 6 h submergence as compared with the WT without submergence treatment. As compared with the WT, differently expressed genes in E33 did not significantly overlap with the WT when both were treated for 6 h submergence. Furthermore, genes responsive to hypoxia, oxidative stress, production and transformation of energy, and ethanol metabolic pathways as well as ethylene response factor genes showed higher expression level in E33 than that in the WT, so these pathways are regulated by BnERF directly or indirectly to participate in defense against submergence stress.