Transcriptomic regulatory mechanisms of Zostera caespitosa under different temperatures

Area of Science:

• Marine Botany
• Plant Molecular Biology
• Environmental Stress Physiology

Background:

• Aquatic plants like Zostera caespitosa face significant environmental challenges, particularly temperature fluctuations.
• Understanding the molecular basis of their stress response is crucial for predicting ecosystem impacts and conservation efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To elucidate the transcriptomic mechanisms underlying Zostera caespitosa's response to low (5°C) and high (25°C) temperature stress.
• To identify key genes, pathways, and co-expression networks involved in temperature stress adaptation.

Main Methods:

• Transcriptome sequencing of Zostera caespitosa under controlled low and high temperature conditions.
• Gene Ontology (GO) functional annotation and enrichment analysis.
• Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis.
• Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis (WGCNA) to identify gene modules and their correlations with traits.

Main Results:

• Distinct transcriptomic profiles were observed under low and high temperatures, indicating different adaptive strategies.
• Low temperature (5°C) stress response involved enhanced membrane stability and protein processing, with suppressed energy-intensive processes like photosynthesis.
• High temperature (25°C) stress response activated growth-related pathways, including brassinosteroid biosynthesis and hormone signal transduction, while also suppressing photosynthesis.
• WGCNA identified MEred and MEturquoise as critical co-expression modules, with MEred positively correlating with biomass and photosynthesis, and upregulated under high temperature.

Conclusions:

• Zostera caespitosa employs complex transcriptomic regulatory networks to cope with temperature stress.
• The study provides a molecular foundation for understanding stress resistance mechanisms in seagrasses and other aquatic plants.
• Identifying key gene modules offers insights into the coordination of growth and stress response in plants.