Transcriptome Dynamics of Terminal Buds During Flower Bud Morphogenesis in Blueberry

Area of Science:

• Plant biology
• Molecular genetics
• Developmental biology

Background:

• Flower bud morphogenesis is crucial for blueberry reproductive transition.
• Transcriptome dynamics and regulatory networks during this phase remain largely uncharacterized.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically characterize transcriptome dynamics and regulatory networks during blueberry flower bud development.
• To identify key genes and pathways involved in floral differentiation and dormancy entry.

Main Methods:

• RNA sequencing of rabbiteye blueberry 'Brightwell' terminal buds across six time points.
• Trend clustering and Pearson correlation network analyses to identify gene relationships.
• Analysis of differentially expressed genes, transcription factors, and hormone-related genes.

Main Results:

• Identified 26,302 differentially expressed genes with a major shift at week 15.
• Selected 1050 candidate genes, including flowering, transcription factor, and hormone-related genes.
• Observed opposing expression dynamics of floral integrators FT and SOC1, suggesting stage-specific roles.

Conclusions:

• Proposed a molecular regulatory framework integrating flowering signals, hormones, and transcriptional cascades.
• Provided a comprehensive view of blueberry bud transcriptome dynamics.
• Offered gene resources and theoretical foundation for blueberry breeding.