Mingying Liu

Transcriptome Sequencing and De Novo Analysis for Ma Bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro) Using the Illumina Platform

Background Bamboo occupies an important phylogenetic node in the grass family with remarkable sizes, woodiness and a striking life history. However, limited genetic research has focused on bamboo partially because of the lack of genomic resources. The advent of high-throughput sequencing technologies enables generation of genomic resources in a short time and at a minimal cost, and therefore provides a turning point for bamboo research. In the present study, we performed de novo transcriptome sequencing for the first time to produce a comprehensive dataset for the Ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro). Results The Ma bamboo transcriptome was sequenced using the Illumina paired-end sequencing technology. We produced 15,138,726 reads and assembled them into 103,354 scaffolds. A total of 68,229 unigenes were identified, among which 46,087 were annotated in the NCBI non-redundant protein database and 28,165 were annotated in the Swiss-Prot database. Of these annotated unigenes, 11,921 and 10,147 unigenes were assigned to gene ontology categories and clusters of orthologous groups, respectively. We could map 45,649 unigenes onto 292 pathways using the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway database. The annotated unigenes were compared against Moso bamboo, rice and millet. Unigenes that did not match any of those three sequence datasets are considered to be Ma bamboo unique. We predicted 105 unigenes encoding eight key enzymes involved in lignin biosynthesis. In addition, 621 simple sequence repeats (SSRs) were detected. Conclusion Our data provide the most comprehensive transcriptomic resource currently available for D. latiflorus Munro. Candidate genes potentially involved in growth and development were identified, and those predicted to be unique to Ma bamboo are expected to give a better insight on Ma bamboo gene diversity. Numerous SSRs characterized contributed to marker development. These data constitute a new valuable resource for genomic studies on D. latiflorus Munro and, more generally, bamboo.

Integration of small RNAs, degradome and transcriptome sequencing in hyperaccumulator Sedum alfredii uncovers a complex regulatory network and provides insights into cadmium phytoremediation

Summary The hyperaccumulating ecotype of Sedum alfredii Hance is a cadmium (Cd)/zinc/lead co‐hyperaccumulating species of Crassulaceae. It is a promising phytoremediation candidate accumulating substantial heavy metal ions without obvious signs of poisoning. However, few studies have focused on the regulatory roles of miRNAs and their targets in the hyperaccumulating ecotype of S. alfredii. Here, we combined analyses of the transcriptomics, sRNAs and the degradome to generate a comprehensive resource focused on identifying key regulatory miRNA‐target circuits under Cd stress. A total of 87 721 unigenes and 356 miRNAs were identified by deep sequencing, and 79 miRNAs were differentially expressed under Cd stress. Furthermore, 754 target genes of 194 miRNAs were validated by degradome sequencing. A gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis of differential miRNA targets revealed that auxin, redox‐related secondary metabolism and metal transport pathways responded to Cd stress. An integrated analysis uncovered 39 pairs of miRNA targets that displayed negatively correlated expression profiles. Ten miRNA‐target pairs also exhibited negative correlations according to a real‐time quantitative PCR analysis. Moreover, a coexpression regulatory network was constructed based on profiles of differentially expressed genes. Two hub genes, ARF4 (auxin response factor 4) and AAP3 (amino acid permease 3), which might play central roles in the regulation of Cd‐responsive genes, were uncovered. These results suggest that comprehensive analyses of the transcriptomics, sRNAs and the degradome provided a useful platform for investigating Cd hyperaccumulation in S. alfredii, and may provide new insights into the genetic engineering of phytoremediation.

Selection and validation of reference genes for real-time quantitative PCR in hyperaccumulating ecotype of Sedum alfredii under different heavy metals stresses.

Real-time Quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) has become an effective method for accurate analysis of gene expression in several biological systems as well as under different experimental conditions. Although with high sensitivity, specificity and broad dynamic range, this method requires suitable reference genes for transcript normalization in order to guarantee reproducible and meaningful results. In the present study, we evaluated five traditional housekeeping genes and five novel reference genes in Hyperaccumulating ecotype of Sedum alfredii, a well known hyperaccumulator for heavy metals phytoremediation, under Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu stresses of seven different durations. The expression stability of these ten candidates were determined with three programs - geNorm, NormFinder and BestKeeper. The results showed that all the selected reference genes except for SAND could be used for RT-qPCR normalization. Among them UBC9 and TUB were ranked as the most stable candidates across all samples by three programs together. For the least stable reference genes, however, BestKeeper produced different results compared with geNorm and NormFinder. Meanwhile, the expression profiles of PCS under Cd, Pb, Zn and Cu stresses were assessed using UBC9 and TUB respectively, and similar trends were obtained from the results of the two groups. The distinct expression patterns of PCS indicated that various strategies could be taken by plants in adaption to different heavy metals stresses. This study will provide appropriate reference genes for further gene expression quantification using RT-qPCR in Hyperaccumulator S. alfredii.

Expression profile of miRNAs in Populus cathayana L. and Salix matsudana Koidz under salt stress

Soil salinization can lead to environmental and ecological problems worldwide. Abiotic stressors, including salinity, are suspected to regulate microRNA (miRNA) expression. Plants exposed to such abiotic stressors express specific miRNAs, which are genes encoding small non-coding RNAs of 20–24 nucleotides. miRNAs are known to exist widely in plant genomes, and are endogenous. A previous study used miRNA microarray technology and poly(A) polymerase-mediated qRT-PCR technology to analyze the expression profile of miRNAs in two types of plants, Populus cathayana L. (salt-sensitive plants) and Salix matsudana Koidz (highly salinity-tolerant plants), both belonging to the Salicaceae family. miRNA microarray hybridization revealed changes in expression of 161 miRNAs P. cathayana and 32 miRNAs in S. matsudana under salt stress. Differences in expression indicate that the same miRNA has different expression patterns in salt-sensitive plants and salt-tolerant plants under salt stress. These indicate that changes in expression of miRNAs might function as a response to varying salt concentrations. To examine this, we used qRT-PCR to select five miRNA family target genes involved in plant responses to salt stress. Upon saline treatment, the expressions of both ptc-miR474c and ptc-miR398b in P. cathayana were down-regulated, but were up-regulated in S. matsudana. Expression of the miR396 family in both types of plants was suppressed. Furthermore, we have analyzed the different expression patterns between P. cathayana and S. matsudana. Findings of this study can be utilized in future investigations of post-transcriptional gene regulation in P. cathayana and S. matsudana under saline stress.

Selection of suitable reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR gene expression analysis in Salix matsudana under different abiotic stresses

Salix matsudana is a deciduous, rapidly growing willow species commonly cultivated in China, which can tolerate drought, salt, and heavy metal stress conditions. Selection of suitable reference genes for quantitative real-time PCR is important for normalizing the expression of the key genes associated with various stresses. To validate suitable reference genes, we selected 11 candidate reference genes (five traditional housekeeping genes and six novel genes) and analyzed their expression stability in various samples, including different tissues and under different abiotic stress treatments. The expression of these genes was determined using five programs—geNorm, NormFinder, BestKeeper, ΔCt, and RefFinder. The results showed that α-TUB2 (alpha-tubulin 2) and DnaJ (chaperone protein DnaJ 49) were the most stable reference genes across all the tested samples. We measured the expression profiles of the defense response gene SmCAT (catalase) using the two most stable and one least stable reference genes in all samples of S. matsudana. The relative quantification of SmCAT varied greatly according to the different reference genes. We propose that α-TUB2 and DnaJ should be the preferred reference genes for normalization and quantification of transcript levels in future gene expression studies in willow species under various abiotic stress conditions.

Identification and Characterization of Novel MicroRNAs from Populus cathayana Rehd

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are highly conserved, endogenous, non-coding small RNAs of about 18–24 nucleotides in length. As negative regulators, miRNAs inhibit gene expressions at the post-transcriptional level by guiding cleavage or attenuating the translation of target genes, which affects organismal morphogenesis, development, and adaptability to changes occurring in the environment. Although miRNAs have been found in Populus species and have been shown to have diverse biological functions, few have been described in Populus cathayana Rehd. In this study, we have identified novel miRNAs from P. cathayana by constructing a library of small (18–24 nucleotides) RNA. After sequencing 691 small RNAs from P. cathayana, alignment to the Populus sequence database and secondary structure prediction were performed. These bioinformatic analyses identified five candidate miRNAs that were designated ptc-miR801, ptc-miR74, ptc-miR102, ptc-miR367, and ptc-miR213. Expression of these miRNAs was validated using real-time quantitative PCR analysis, and four of them displayed distinct expression patterns in leaves, stems, and roots. Our results show that four of the miRNAs are likely specific to leaves. Putative targets for these miRNAs play important roles in development and response to abiotic stress.

Validation of reference genes aiming accurate normalization of qRT-PCR data in Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro.

Background Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro distributes widely in subtropical areas and plays vital roles as valuable natural resources. The transcriptome sequencing for D. latiflorus Munro has been performed and numerous genes especially those predicted to be unique to D. latiflorus Munro were revealed. qRT-PCR has become a feasible approach to uncover gene expression profiling, and the accuracy and reliability of the results obtained depends upon the proper selection of stable reference genes for accurate normalization. Therefore, a set of suitable internal controls should be validated for D. latiflorus Munro. Results In this report, twelve candidate reference genes were selected and the assessment of gene expression stability was performed in ten tissue samples and four leaf samples from seedlings and anther-regenerated plants of different ploidy. The PCR amplification efficiency was estimated, and the candidate genes were ranked according to their expression stability using three software packages: geNorm, NormFinder and Bestkeeper. GAPDH and EF1α were characterized to be the most stable genes among different tissues or in all the sample pools, while CYP showed low expression stability. RPL3 had the optimal performance among four leaf samples. The application of verified reference genes was illustrated by analyzing ferritin and laccase expression profiles among different experimental sets. The analysis revealed the biological variation in ferritin and laccase transcript expression among the tissues studied and the individual plants. Conclusions geNorm, NormFinder, and BestKeeper analyses recommended different suitable reference gene(s) for normalization according to the experimental sets. GAPDH and EF1α had the highest expression stability across different tissues and RPL3 for the other sample set. This study emphasizes the importance of validating superior reference genes for qRT-PCR analysis to accurately normalize gene expression of D. latiflorus Munro.

Overexpressing the Sedum alfredii Cu/Zn Superoxide Dismutase Increased Resistance to Oxidative Stress in Transgenic Arabidopsis

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a very important reactive oxygen species (ROS)-scavenging enzyme. In this study, the functions of a Cu/Zn SOD gene (SaCu/Zn SOD), from Sedum alfredii, a cadmium (Cd)/zinc/lead co-hyperaccumulator of the Crassulaceae, was characterized. The expression of SaCu/Zn SOD was induced by Cd stress. Compared with wild-type (WT) plants, overexpression of SaCu/Zn SOD gene in transgenic Arabidopsis plants enhanced the antioxidative defense capacity, including SOD and peroxidase activities. Additionally, it reduced the damage associated with the overproduction of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and superoxide radicals (O2•-). The influence of Cd stress on ion flux across the root surface showed that overexpressing SaCu/Zn SOD in transgenic Arabidopsis plants has greater Cd uptake capacity existed in roots. A co-expression network based on microarray data showed possible oxidative regulation in Arabidopsis after Cd-induced oxidative stress, suggesting that SaCu/Zn SOD may participate in this network and enhance ROS-scavenging capability under Cd stress. Taken together, these results suggest that overexpressing SaCu/Zn SOD increased oxidative stress resistance in transgenic Arabidopsis and provide useful information for understanding the role of SaCu/Zn SOD in response to abiotic stress.

Transcriptome analysis of immature xylem in the Chinese fir at different developmental phases

Background.Chinese fir [Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook.] is one of the most important native tree species for timber production in southern China. An understanding of overall fast growing stage, stem growth stage and senescence stage cambium transcriptome variation is lacking. We used transcriptome sequencing to identify the repertoire of genes expressed during development of xylem tissue in Chinese fir, aiming to delineate the molecular mechanisms of wood formation. Results. We carried out transcriptome sequencing at three different cultivation ages (7Y, 15Y and 21Y) generating 68.71 million reads (13.88 Gbp). A total of 140,486 unigenes with a mean size of 568.64 base pairs (bp) were obtained via de novo assembly. Of these, 27,427 unigenes (19.52%) were further annotated by comparison to public protein databases. A total of 5,331 (3.79%) unigenes were mapped into 118 pathways by searching against the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway database (KEGG). Differentially expressed genes (DEG) analysis identified 3, 16 and 5,899 DEGs from the comparison of 7Y vs. 15Y, 7Y vs. 21Y and 15Y vs. 21Y, respectively, in the immature xylem tissues, including 2,638 significantly up-regulated and 3,280 significantly down-regulated genes. Besides, five NAC transcription factors, 190 MYB transcription factors, and 34 WRKY transcription factors were identified respectively from Chinese fir transcriptome. Conclusion. Our results revealed the active transcriptional pathways and identified the DEGs at different cultivation phases of Chinese fir wood formation. This transcriptome dataset will aid in understanding and carrying out future studies on the molecular basis of Chinese fir wood formation and contribute to future artificial production and applications.

Isolation of Salt Stress-Related Genes from Aspergillus glaucus CCHA by Random Overexpression in Escherichia coli

The halotolerant fungus Aspergillus glaucus CCHA was isolated from the surface of wild vegetation around a saltern with the salinity range being 0–31%. Here, a full-length cDNA library of A. glaucus under salt stress was constructed to identify genes related to salt tolerance, and one hundred clones were randomly selected for sequencing and bioinformatics analysis. Among these, 82 putative sequences were functionally annotated as being involved in signal transduction, osmolyte synthesis and transport, or regulation of transcription. Subsequently, the cDNA library was transformed into E. coli cells to screen for putative salt stress-related clones. Five putative positive clones were obtained from E. coli cells grown on LB agar containing 1 M NaCl, on which they showed rapid growth compared to the empty vector control line. Analysis of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines overexpressing CCHA-2142 demonstrated that the gene conferred increased salt tolerance to plants as well by protecting the cellular membranes, suppressing the inhibition of chlorophyll biosynthesis. These results highlight the utility of this A. glaucus cDNA library as a tool for isolating and characterizing genes related to salt tolerance. Furthermore, the identified genes can be used for the study of the underlying biology of halotolerance.