Transcriptomic Profiling of Two Rice Thermo-Sensitive Genic Male Sterile Lines with Contrasting Seed Storability...

Area of Science:

• Plant genetics
• Molecular biology
• Agricultural science

Background:

• Seed storability is crucial for maintaining seed vitality and genetic value during storage.
• Understanding the genetic factors influencing seed storability is vital for agriculture.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the transcriptomic differences between storage-tolerant and storage-susceptible rice thermo-sensitive genic male sterile (TGMS) lines under artificial aging.
• To identify genes and molecular pathways associated with seed storability in rice.

Main Methods:

• RNA sequencing was employed to profile seed transcriptomes of two rice TGMS lines (S1146S and SD26S) subjected to accelerated aging.
• Differential gene expression analysis, Gene Ontology (GO), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed.
• Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis was conducted to identify core genes.

Main Results:

• Thousands of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in both TGMS lines, with some showing similar or specific regulation patterns.
• Key enriched pathways included "translation", "ribosome", "oxidative phosphorylation", and "regulation of DNA-templated transcription".
• Several candidate genes (e.g., OsPMEI12, V2, OsBiP2) and seed vitality genes (e.g., MKKK62, OsFbx352) were identified as potentially related to seed storability.

Conclusions:

• The study reveals molecular responses and candidate genes governing seed storability in rice TGMS lines under aging stress.
• These findings provide a foundation for improving seed storability in hybrid rice through genetic strategies.