title: Transcriptomic changes during maize roots development responsive to Cadmium (Cd) pollution using comparative RNAseq-based approach.
abstract: The heavy metal cadmium (Cd), acts as a widespread environmental contaminant, which has shown to adversely affect human health, food safety and ecosystem safety in recent years. However, research on how plant respond to various kinds of heavy metal stress is scarcely reported, especially for understanding of complex molecular regulatory mechanisms and elucidating the gene networks of plant respond to Cd stress. Here, transcriptomic changes during Mo17 and B73 seedlings development responsive to Cd pollution were investigated and comparative RNAseq-based approach in both genotypes were performed. 115 differential expression genes (DEGs) with significant alteration in expression were found co-modulated in both genotypes during the maize seedling development; of those, most of DGEs were found comprised of stress and defense responses proteins, transporters, as well as transcription factors, such as thaumatin-like protein, ZmOPR2 and ZmOPR5. More interestingly, genotype-specific transcriptional factors changes induced by Cd stress were found contributed to the regulatory mechanism of Cd sensitivity in both different genotypes. Moreover, 12 co-expression modules associated with specific biological processes or pathways (M1 to M12) were identified by consensus co-expression network. These results will expand our understanding of complex molecular mechanism of response and defense to Cd exposure in maize seedling roots.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, Sichuan, 611130, China; Sichuan Tourism College, Chengdu, 610000, Sichuan, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, Sichuan, 611130, China.
authors.forename: Xiujing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology and Southwest Cancer Center, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Key Laboratory of Tumor Immunopathology, Ministry of Education of China, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, Sichuan, 611130, China.
authors.forename: Haixia
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, Sichuan, 611130, China.
authors.forename: Zhiming
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, Sichuan, 611130, China.
authors.forename: Yaou
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, Sichuan, 611130, China. Electronic address: pangt@sicau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Guangtang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Maize in Southwest Region, Ministry of Agriculture, Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, Wenjiang, Sichuan, 611130, China. Electronic address: linhj521@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Haijian
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
mesh_terms: D002104:Cadmium / Q000633:toxicity*; D059022:Food Safety; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D017343:Genes, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D017423:Sequence Analysis, RNA; D012989:Soil Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D059467:Transcriptome / Q000187:drug effects; D003313:Zea mays / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D012989:Soil Pollutants; D002104:Cadmium
keywords: Co-expression modules; Comparative RNAseq-based approach; Differential expression genes (DEGs); Maize (Zea mays)