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Title: Gene expression differs in codominant prairie grasses under drought

Journal Article · · Molecular Ecology Resources
ORCiD logo [1];  [1]
  1. Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology Colorado State University Fort Collins CO USA
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Abstract Grasslands of the central United States are expected to experience severe droughts and other climate extremes in the future, yet we know little about how these grasses will respond in terms of gene expression. We compared gene expression in Andropogon gerardii and Sorghastrum nutans , two closely related codominant C 4 grasses responsible for the majority of ecosystem function, using RNA ‐seq. We compared Trinity assemblies within each species to determine annotated functions of transcripts responding to drought. Subsequently, we compared homologous annotated gene‐groups across the two species using cross‐species meta‐level analysis and functional clustering based on key terms. The majority of variation was found between species, as opposed to between drought and watered treatments. However, there is evidence for differential responses; Andropogon allocated gene expression differently compared to Sorghastrum , suggesting Andropogon focuses on stress alleviation (such as oxygen radical scavenging) rather than prevention. In contrast, Sorghastrum may employ a drought avoidance strategy by modulating osmotic response, especially with hormonal regulation. We found Sorghastrum tended to be more sensitive within 10 key gene‐groups related to stress, abscisic acid and trichomes, suggesting gene expression may mechanistically parallel sensitivity at the physiological level. Our findings corroborate phenotypic and physiological differences in the field and may help explain the phenotypic mechanisms of these two species in the tallgrass prairie community under future drought scenarios.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
Grant/Contract Number:
DE‐FG02‐04ER63892
OSTI ID:
1409716
Journal Information:
Molecular Ecology Resources, Journal Name: Molecular Ecology Resources Vol. 18 Journal Issue: 2; ISSN 1755-098X
Publisher:
Wiley-BlackwellCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United Kingdom
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 6 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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