Identifying resurrection genes through the differentially expressed genes between Selaginella tamariscina (Beauv.) spring and Selaginella moellendorffii Hieron under drought stress

• Published in: PloS one 2019-11, Vol.14 (11), p.e0224765-e0224765
• Main Authors: Gu, Wei, Zhang, Aqin, Sun, Hongmei, Gu, Yuchen, Chao, Jianguo, Tian, Rong, Duan, Jin-Ao
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Abscisic acid; Analysis; Antioxidants; Antioxidants (Nutrients); Aquaporins; Ascorbate oxidase; Ascorbic acid; Binding sites; Biology and Life Sciences; Biosynthesis; Calcium; Carbohydrate metabolism; Carbohydrates; Catabolism; Catalase; Cellular signal transduction; China; Collaboration; Cutin; Desiccation; DNA binding proteins; Drought; Drought resistance; Droughts; Drying; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Embryogenesis; Embryonic growth stage; Extreme drought; Extreme weather; Flowers & plants; Gene expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genes; Genes, Plant - genetics; Genetic aspects; Genetic engineering; Hormones; Kinases; L-Ascorbate oxidase; LEA protein; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolism; Molecular modelling; Morphology; Oxidases; Pattern analysis; Pectin; Peroxidase; Pharmacy; Phenylalanine; Physical Sciences; Plant hormones; Polyamines; Protein kinase; Protein kinases; Protein turnover; Proteins; Selaginella; Selaginella moellendorffii; Selaginellaceae - genetics; Signal transduction; Stress, Physiological - genetics; Transcription (Genetics); Transcription factors; Water; Xyloglucan
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0224765

Selaginella tamariscina (Beauv.) spring, a primitive vascular resurrection plant, can survive extreme drought and recover when water becomes available. To identify drought-inducible genes and to clarify the molecular mechanism of drought tolerance, a comparative transcriptional pattern analysis was conducted between S. tamariscina and Selaginella moellendorffii Hieron (drought sensitive). 133 drought related genes were identified, including 72 functional genes and 61 regulatory genes. And several drought responsive reactions, such as antioxidant activity, osmotic balance, cuticle defense and signal transduction were highlighted in S. tamariscina under drought. Notably, besides peroxidase, catalase and L-ascorbate oxidase genes, DEGs associated with phenylalanine metabolism and polyamine catabolism could be alternative ways to enhance antioxidant ability in S. tamariscina. DEGs related to soluble carbohydrate metabolism, late embryogenesis abundant protein (LEA) and aquaporin protein (AQP) confirmed that osmotic adjustment could resist drought during desiccation. DEGs involved in xyloglucan metabolic process, pectin metabolic process and cutin biosynthesis may also contribute to drought tolerance of S. tamariscina by cuticle defense. Drought-responsive genes encoding protein kinases, calcium sensors, transcription factors (TFs) and plant hormones also help to drought resistance of S. tamariscina. The preliminary validation experiments were performed and the results were consistent with our hypothetical integrated regulatory network. The results of this study provide candidate resurrection genes and an integrated regulatory network for further studies on the molecular mechanisms of stress tolerance in S. tamariscina.