title: Transcriptome analysis of rice root responses to potassium deficiency.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Potassium (K+) is an important nutrient ion in plant cells and plays crucial roles in many plant physiological and developmental processes. In the natural environment, K+ deficiency is a common abiotic stress that inhibits plant growth and reduces crop productivity. Several microarray studies have been conducted on genome-wide gene expression profiles of rice during its responses to various stresses. However, little is known about the transcriptional changes in rice genes under low-K+ conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We analyzed the transcriptomic profiles of rice roots in response to low-K+ stress. The roots of rice seedlings with or without low-K+ treatment were harvested after 6 h, and 3 and 5 d, and used for microarray analysis. The microarray data showed that many genes (2,896) were up-regulated or down-regulated more than 1.2-fold during low-K+ treatment. GO analysis indicated that the genes showing transcriptional changes were mainly in the following categories: metabolic process, membrane, cation binding, kinase activity, transport, and so on. We conducted a comparative analysis of transcriptomic changes between Arabidopsis and rice under low-K+ stress. Generally, the genes showing changes in transcription in rice and Arabidopsis in response to low-K+ stress displayed similar GO distribution patterns. However, there were more genes related to stress responses and development in Arabidopsis than in rice. Many auxin-related genes responded to K+ deficiency in rice, whereas jasmonic acid-related enzymes may play more important roles in K+ nutrient signaling in Arabidopsis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to the microarray data, fewer rice genes showed transcriptional changes in response to K+ deficiency than to phosphorus (P) or nitrogen (N) deficiency. Thus, transcriptional regulation is probably more important in responses to low-P and -N stress than to low-K+ stress. However, many genes in some categories (protein kinase and ion transporter families) were markedly up-regulated, suggesting that they play important roles during K+ deficiency. Comparative analysis of transcriptomic changes between Arabidopsis and rice showed that monocots and dicots share many similar mechanisms in response to K+ deficiency, despite some differences. Further research is required to clarify the differences in transcriptional regulation between monocots and dicots.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry (SKLPPB), National Plant Gene Research Centre (Beijing), College of Biological Sciences, China Agricultural University, #2 West Yuan Ming Yuan Rd, Beijing 100193, China.
authors.forename: Tian-Li
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Wei-Hua
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D027682:Cation Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D003517:Cyclopentanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D054883:Oxylipins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011188:Potassium / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013431:Sulfates / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D027682:Cation Transport Proteins; D003517:Cyclopentanes; D054883:Oxylipins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D013431:Sulfates; C031512:potassium sulfate; C011006:jasmonic acid; D009584:Nitrogen; D011188:Potassium