Physiological and Transcriptomic Characterization of Sea-Wheatgrass-Derived Waterlogging Tolerance in Wheat

Waterlogging, causing hypoxia stress and nitrogen depletion in the rhizosphere, has been an increasing threat to wheat production. We developed a wheat–sea wheatgrass (SWG) amphiploid showing superior tolerance to waterlogging and low nitrogen. Validated in deoxygenated agar medium for three weeks,...

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Main Authors: Wenqiang Li, Ghana S. Challa, Ajay Gupta, Liping Gu, Yajun Wu, Wanlong Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2021-12-01
Series:Plants
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/1/108
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author Wenqiang Li
Ghana S. Challa
Ajay Gupta
Liping Gu
Yajun Wu
Wanlong Li
author_facet Wenqiang Li
Ghana S. Challa
Ajay Gupta
Liping Gu
Yajun Wu
Wanlong Li
author_sort Wenqiang Li
collection DOAJ
description Waterlogging, causing hypoxia stress and nitrogen depletion in the rhizosphere, has been an increasing threat to wheat production. We developed a wheat–sea wheatgrass (SWG) amphiploid showing superior tolerance to waterlogging and low nitrogen. Validated in deoxygenated agar medium for three weeks, hypoxia stress reduced the dry matter of the wheat parent by 40% but had little effect on the growth of the amphiploid. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we comparatively analyzed the wheat–SWG amphiploid and its wheat parent grown in aerated and hypoxic solutions for physiological traits and root transcriptomes. Compared with its wheat parent, the amphiploid showed less magnitude in forming root porosity and barrier to radial oxygen loss, two important mechanisms for internal O<sub>2</sub> movement to the apex, and downregulation of genes for ethylene, lignin, and reactive oxygen species. In another aspect, however, hypoxia stress upregulated the nitrate assimilation/reduction pathway in amphiploid and induced accumulation of nitric oxide, a byproduct of nitrate reduction, in its root tips, and the amphiploid maintained much higher metabolic activity in its root system compared with its wheat parent. Taken together, our research suggested that enhanced nitrate assimilation and reduction and accumulation of nitric oxide play important roles in the SWG-derived waterlogging tolerance.
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spelling doaj.art-3e3ac160f4e04ca39180dd4ba09386092023-11-23T12:07:48ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472021-12-0111110810.3390/plants11010108Physiological and Transcriptomic Characterization of Sea-Wheatgrass-Derived Waterlogging Tolerance in WheatWenqiang Li0Ghana S. Challa1Ajay Gupta2Liping Gu3Yajun Wu4Wanlong Li5Department of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USADepartment of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USADepartment of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USADepartment of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USADepartment of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USADepartment of Biology and Microbiology, South Dakota State University, Brookings, SD 57007, USAWaterlogging, causing hypoxia stress and nitrogen depletion in the rhizosphere, has been an increasing threat to wheat production. We developed a wheat–sea wheatgrass (SWG) amphiploid showing superior tolerance to waterlogging and low nitrogen. Validated in deoxygenated agar medium for three weeks, hypoxia stress reduced the dry matter of the wheat parent by 40% but had little effect on the growth of the amphiploid. To understand the underlying mechanisms, we comparatively analyzed the wheat–SWG amphiploid and its wheat parent grown in aerated and hypoxic solutions for physiological traits and root transcriptomes. Compared with its wheat parent, the amphiploid showed less magnitude in forming root porosity and barrier to radial oxygen loss, two important mechanisms for internal O<sub>2</sub> movement to the apex, and downregulation of genes for ethylene, lignin, and reactive oxygen species. In another aspect, however, hypoxia stress upregulated the nitrate assimilation/reduction pathway in amphiploid and induced accumulation of nitric oxide, a byproduct of nitrate reduction, in its root tips, and the amphiploid maintained much higher metabolic activity in its root system compared with its wheat parent. Taken together, our research suggested that enhanced nitrate assimilation and reduction and accumulation of nitric oxide play important roles in the SWG-derived waterlogging tolerance.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/1/108hypoxia responsenitrate reductionnitric oxidesea wheatgrasswaterlogging tolerancewheat
spellingShingle Wenqiang Li
Ghana S. Challa
Ajay Gupta
Liping Gu
Yajun Wu
Wanlong Li
Physiological and Transcriptomic Characterization of Sea-Wheatgrass-Derived Waterlogging Tolerance in Wheat
Plants
hypoxia response
nitrate reduction
nitric oxide
sea wheatgrass
waterlogging tolerance
wheat
title Physiological and Transcriptomic Characterization of Sea-Wheatgrass-Derived Waterlogging Tolerance in Wheat
title_full Physiological and Transcriptomic Characterization of Sea-Wheatgrass-Derived Waterlogging Tolerance in Wheat
title_fullStr Physiological and Transcriptomic Characterization of Sea-Wheatgrass-Derived Waterlogging Tolerance in Wheat
title_full_unstemmed Physiological and Transcriptomic Characterization of Sea-Wheatgrass-Derived Waterlogging Tolerance in Wheat
title_short Physiological and Transcriptomic Characterization of Sea-Wheatgrass-Derived Waterlogging Tolerance in Wheat
title_sort physiological and transcriptomic characterization of sea wheatgrass derived waterlogging tolerance in wheat
topic hypoxia response
nitrate reduction
nitric oxide
sea wheatgrass
waterlogging tolerance
wheat
url https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/11/1/108
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AT lipinggu physiologicalandtranscriptomiccharacterizationofseawheatgrassderivedwaterloggingtoleranceinwheat
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