Comparative transcriptome profiling of multi-ovary wheat under heterogeneous cytoplasm suppression

Area of Science:

• Plant genetics and molecular biology
• Wheat breeding and genetics
• Developmental biology

Background:

• The multi-ovary trait in wheat (DUOII) is controlled by a dominant gene.
• This trait's expression is suppressed by the heterogeneous cytoplasm of TeZhiI (TZI) wheat line.
• Reciprocal crosses reveal cytoplasmic influence on the multi-ovary phenotype.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying heterogeneous cytoplasmic suppression of the multi-ovary trait in wheat.
• To identify key genes and pathways involved in the developmental regulation of pistil primordia.

Main Methods:

• RNA sequencing of young wheat spikes (2-6mm) from reciprocal crosses between DUOII and TZI lines.
• Transcriptome-wide analysis to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs).
• Functional annotation of DEGs to determine involved biological pathways.

Main Results:

• A total of 600 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified between the reciprocal crosses.
• Heterogeneous cytoplasmic suppression involves four main pathways: chloroplast metabolism, DNA replication and repair, hormone signal transduction, and trehalose-6-phosphate metabolism.
• These pathways cooperate to modulate the multi-ovary gene expression under cytoplasmic suppression.

Conclusions:

• Heterogeneous cytoplasm plays a crucial role in regulating the multi-ovary trait in wheat through specific molecular pathways.
• Understanding these pathways provides insights into genetic and cytoplasmic interactions controlling plant development.
• This research contributes to wheat breeding strategies for desirable agronomic traits.