Genome-wide identification and comparative analysis of grafting-responsive mRNA in watermelon grafted onto bottle gourd and squash rootstocks by high-throughput sequencing.
Grafting is an important agricultural technique widely used to improve plant growth, yield, and adaptation to either biotic or abiotic stresses. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying grafting-induced physiological processes remain unclear. Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus L.) is an important horticultural crop worldwide. Grafting technique is commonly used in watermelon production for improving its tolerance to stresses, especially to the soil-borne fusarium wilt disease. In the present study, we used high-throughput sequencing to perform a genome-wide transcript analysis of scions from watermelon grafted onto bottle gourd and squash rootstocks. Our transcriptome and digital gene expression (DGE) profiling data provided insights into the molecular aspects of gene regulation in grafted watermelon. Compared with self-grafted watermelon, there were 787 and 3485 genes differentially expressed in watermelon grafted onto bottle gourd and squash rootstocks, respectively. These genes were associated with primary and secondary metabolism, hormone signaling, transcription factors, transporters, and response to stimuli. Grafting led to changes in expression of these genes, suggesting that they may play important roles in mediating the physiological processes of grafted seedlings. The potential roles of the grafting-responsive mRNAs in diverse biological and metabolic processes were discussed. Obviously, the data obtained in this study provide an excellent resource for unraveling the mechanisms of candidate genes function in diverse biological processes and in environmental adaptation in a graft system.
Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.|Institute of Vegetables, Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hangzhou, 310021, People's Republic of China.
Na
N
Liu
Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
Jinghua
J
Yang
Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
Xinxing
X
Fu
Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
Li
L
Zhang
Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, USA.
Kai
K
Tang
Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
Kateta Malangisha
KM
Guy
Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China.
Zhongyuan
Z
Hu
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), National Engineering Research Center for Vegetables, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, People's Republic of China.
Shaogui
S
Guo
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (North China), National Engineering Research Center for Vegetables, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences, Beijing, 100097, People's Republic of China. xuyong@nercv.org.
Yong
Y
Xu
Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Functional Improvement for Horticultural Plants, Department of Horticulture, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People's Republic of China. mfzhang@zju.edu.cn.
Mingfang
M
Zhang
D029773:Citrullus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology; D005670:Fusarium / Q000472:pathogenicity; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D018745:Genome, Plant; D059014:High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; D000069600:Plant Breeding; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D036226:Seedlings / Q000235:genetics*; D059467:Transcriptome
D012333:RNA, Messenger
Gene regulation; Grafting; RNA-Seq; Rootstock; Watermelon