title: Identification of Photosynthesis-Associated C4 Candidate Genes through Comparative Leaf Gradient Transcriptome in Multiple Lineages of C3 and C4 Species.
abstract: Leaves of C4 crops usually have higher radiation, water and nitrogen use efficiencies compared to the C3 species. Engineering C4 traits into C3 crops has been proposed as one of the most promising ways to repeal the biomass yield ceiling. To better understand the function of C4 photosynthesis, and to identify candidate genes that are associated with the C4 pathways, a comparative transcription network analysis was conducted on leaf developmental gradients of three C4 species including maize, green foxtail and sorghum and one C3 species, rice. By combining the methods of gene co-expression and differentially co-expression networks, we identified a total of 128 C4 specific genes. Besides the classic C4 shuttle genes, a new set of genes associated with light reaction, starch and sucrose metabolism, metabolites transportation, as well as transcription regulation, were identified as involved in C4 photosynthesis. These findings will provide important insights into the differential gene regulation between C3 and C4 species, and a good genetic resource for establishing C4 pathways in C3 crops.
authors.affiliation: The Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Hainan, Haikou, China; Computational Biology Service Unit, Life Sciences Core Laboratories Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Zehong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.affiliation: The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America.
authors.forename: Sarit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Weissmann
authors.affiliation: Computational Biology Service Unit, Life Sciences Core Laboratories Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Minghui
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Baijuan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Computational Biology Service Unit, Life Sciences Core Laboratories Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Partner State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.affiliation: Partner State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology, School of Life Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
authors.forename: Silin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.affiliation: Computational Biology Service Unit, Life Sciences Core Laboratories Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Myers
authors.affiliation: The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, St. Louis, Missouri, United States of America.
authors.forename: Thomas P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Brutnell
authors.affiliation: Computational Biology Service Unit, Life Sciences Core Laboratories Center, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America.
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Agronomy, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, Shandong, China.
authors.forename: Pinghua
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D008027:Light; D060847:Metabolic Engineering; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D045868:Sorghum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D059467:Transcriptome; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide; D009584:Nitrogen