Gene and protein expression proifling analysis of young spike development in large spike wheat germplasms

• Published in: 农业科学学报（英文版） 2016, Vol.15 (4), p.744-754
• Main Authors: CHEN Dan, ZHANG Jin-peng, LIU Wei-hua, WU Xiao-yang, YANGXin-ming, LIXiu-quan, LUYu-qing, LI Li-hui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 2095-3119
• DOI: 10.1016/S2095-3119(15)61179-0

The wheat grain number per spike (GNPS) is a major yield-limiting factor in wheat-breeding programs. Germplasms with a high GNPS are therefore valuable for increasing wheat yield potential. To investigate the molecular characteristics of young spike development in large-spike wheat germplasms with high GNPS, we performed gene and protein expression proifling analysis with three high-GNPS wheat lines (Pubing 3228, Pubing 3504 and 4844-12) and one low-GNPS control variety (Fukuho). The phenotypic data for the spikes in two growth seasons showed that the GNPS of the three large-spike wheat lines were signiifcantly higher than that of the Fukuho control line. The Affymetrix wheat chip and isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation-tandam mass spectrometry (iTRAQ-MS/MS) technology were employed for gene and protein expression proifling analyses of young spike development, respectively, at the lforet primordia differentiation stage. A total of 598 differentialy expressed transcripts (270 up-regulated and 328 down-regulated) and 280 proteins (122 up-regulated and 158 down-regulated) were identiifed in the three high-GNPS lines compared with the control line. We found that the expression of some lforal development-related genes, includingWknox1b, theAP2 domain protein kinase and the transcription factorHUA2, were up-regulated in the high-GNPS lines. The expression of theSHEPHERD (SHD) gene was up-regulated at both the transcript and protein levels. Overal, these results suggest that multiple regulatory pathways, including theCLAVATApathway and the meristem-maintaining KNOX protein pathway, take part in the development of the high-GNPS phenotype in our wheat germplasms.