Comparative transcriptomics and metabolomics reveal specialized metabolite drought stress responses in switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum )
- Department of Plant Biology University of California, Davis Davis CA 95616 USA, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen 9747 AG Groningen the Netherlands
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Michigan State University East Lansing MI 48824 USA, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Michigan State University East Lansing MI 48824 USA
- Department of Chemistry University of California, Davis Davis CA 95616 USA
- Department of Plant Biology University of California, Davis Davis CA 95616 USA
- NMR Facility University of California, Davis Davis CA 95616 USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Michigan State University East Lansing MI 48824 USA, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center Michigan State University East Lansing MI 48824 USA, Department Plant Biology Michigan State University East Lansing MI 48824 USA
Summary Switchgrass ( Panicum virgatum ) is a bioenergy model crop valued for its energy efficiency and drought tolerance. The related monocot species rice ( Oryza sativa ) and maize ( Zea mays ) deploy species‐specific, specialized metabolites as core stress defenses. By contrast, specialized chemical defenses in switchgrass are largely unknown. To investigate specialized metabolic drought responses in switchgrass, we integrated tissue‐specific transcriptome and metabolite analyses of the genotypes Alamo and Cave‐in‐Rock that feature different drought tolerance. The more drought‐susceptible Cave‐in‐Rock featured an earlier onset of transcriptomic changes and significantly more differentially expressed genes in response to drought compared to Alamo. Specialized pathways showed moderate differential expression compared to pronounced transcriptomic alterations in carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism. However, diterpenoid‐biosynthetic genes showed drought‐inducible expression in Alamo roots, contrasting largely unaltered triterpenoid and phenylpropanoid pathways. Metabolomic analyses identified common and genotype‐specific flavonoids and terpenoids. Consistent with transcriptomic alterations, several root diterpenoids showed significant drought‐induced accumulation, whereas triterpenoid abundance remained predominantly unchanged. Structural analysis verified select drought‐responsive diterpenoids as oxygenated furanoditerpenoids. Drought‐dependent transcriptome and metabolite profiles provide the foundation to understand the molecular mechanisms underlying switchgrass drought responses. Accumulation of specialized root diterpenoids and corresponding pathway transcripts supports a role in drought stress tolerance.
- Research Organization:
- Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC), Madison, WI (United States); Univ. of California, Davis, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER)
- Grant/Contract Number:
- DE‐AC02‐05CH11231; DE‐SC0018409; DE‐SC0019178; SC0018409; SC0019178; AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 1916502
- Alternate ID(s):
- OSTI ID: 1893930; OSTI ID: 1916505
- Journal Information:
- New Phytologist, Journal Name: New Phytologist Vol. 236 Journal Issue: 4; ISSN 0028-646X
- Publisher:
- Wiley-BlackwellCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United Kingdom
- Language:
- English
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