Identification of Potential Zinc Deficiency Responsive Genes and Regulatory Pathways in Rice by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis

Zinc (Zn) malnutrition is a major public health issue. Genetic biofortification of Zn in rice grain can alleviate global Zn malnutrition. Therefore, elucidating the genetic mechanisms regulating Zn deprivation response in rice is essential to identify elite genes useful for breeding high grain Zn ri...

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Main Authors: Blaise Pascal Muvunyi, Lu Xiang, Zhan Junhui, He Sang, Ye Guoyou
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-11-01
Series:Rice Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1672630822000774
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author Blaise Pascal Muvunyi
Lu Xiang
Zhan Junhui
He Sang
Ye Guoyou
author_facet Blaise Pascal Muvunyi
Lu Xiang
Zhan Junhui
He Sang
Ye Guoyou
author_sort Blaise Pascal Muvunyi
collection DOAJ
description Zinc (Zn) malnutrition is a major public health issue. Genetic biofortification of Zn in rice grain can alleviate global Zn malnutrition. Therefore, elucidating the genetic mechanisms regulating Zn deprivation response in rice is essential to identify elite genes useful for breeding high grain Zn rice varieties. Here, a meta-analysis of previous RNA-Seq studies involving Zn deficient conditions was conducted using the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and other in silico prediction tools to identify modules (denoting cluster of genes with related expression pattern) of co-expressed genes, modular genes which are conserved differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across independent RNA-Seq studies, and the molecular pathways of the conserved modular DEGs. WGCNA identified 16 modules of co-expressed genes. Twenty-eight and five modular DEGs were conserved in leaf and crown, and root tissues across two independent RNA-Seq studies. Functional enrichment analysis showed that 24 of the 28 conserved modular DEGs from leaf and crown tissues significantly up-regulated 2 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways and 15 Gene Ontology (GO) terms, including the substrate- specific transmembrane transporter and the small molecule metabolic process. Further, the well-studied transcription factors (OsWOX11 and OsbHLH120), protein kinase (OsCDPK20 and OsMPK17), and miRNAs (OSA-MIR397A and OSA-MIR397B) were predicted to target some of the identified conserved modular DEGs. Out of the 24 conserved and up-regulated modular DEGs, 19 were yet to be experimentally validated as Zn deficiency responsive genes. Findings from this study provide a comprehensive insight on the molecular mechanisms of Zn deficiency response and may facilitate gene and pathway prioritization for improving Zn use efficiency and Zn biofortification in rice.
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spelling doaj.art-5baf98acf3d740f39f43c7ba0b74d0a22022-12-22T03:32:22ZengElsevierRice Science1672-63082022-11-01296545558Identification of Potential Zinc Deficiency Responsive Genes and Regulatory Pathways in Rice by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network AnalysisBlaise Pascal Muvunyi0Lu Xiang1Zhan Junhui2He Sang3Ye Guoyou4CAAS-IRRI Joint Laboratory for Genomics-Assisted Germplasm Enhancement, Agricultural Genomics Institute in Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shenzhen 518120, ChinaCAAS-IRRI Joint Laboratory for Genomics-Assisted Germplasm Enhancement, Agricultural Genomics Institute in Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shenzhen 518120, ChinaCAAS-IRRI Joint Laboratory for Genomics-Assisted Germplasm Enhancement, Agricultural Genomics Institute in Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shenzhen 518120, ChinaCAAS-IRRI Joint Laboratory for Genomics-Assisted Germplasm Enhancement, Agricultural Genomics Institute in Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shenzhen 518120, China; Corresponding author: CAAS-IRRI Joint Laboratory for Genomics-Assisted Germplasm Enhancement, Agricultural Genomics Institute in Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shenzhen 518120, China,CAAS-IRRI Joint Laboratory for Genomics-Assisted Germplasm Enhancement, Agricultural Genomics Institute in Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shenzhen 518120, China; Rice Breeding Innovations Platform, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Metro Manila 1301, Philippines; Corresponding author: CAAS-IRRI Joint Laboratory for Genomics-Assisted Germplasm Enhancement, Agricultural Genomics Institute in Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS), Shenzhen 518120, China,Zinc (Zn) malnutrition is a major public health issue. Genetic biofortification of Zn in rice grain can alleviate global Zn malnutrition. Therefore, elucidating the genetic mechanisms regulating Zn deprivation response in rice is essential to identify elite genes useful for breeding high grain Zn rice varieties. Here, a meta-analysis of previous RNA-Seq studies involving Zn deficient conditions was conducted using the weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and other in silico prediction tools to identify modules (denoting cluster of genes with related expression pattern) of co-expressed genes, modular genes which are conserved differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across independent RNA-Seq studies, and the molecular pathways of the conserved modular DEGs. WGCNA identified 16 modules of co-expressed genes. Twenty-eight and five modular DEGs were conserved in leaf and crown, and root tissues across two independent RNA-Seq studies. Functional enrichment analysis showed that 24 of the 28 conserved modular DEGs from leaf and crown tissues significantly up-regulated 2 Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathways and 15 Gene Ontology (GO) terms, including the substrate- specific transmembrane transporter and the small molecule metabolic process. Further, the well-studied transcription factors (OsWOX11 and OsbHLH120), protein kinase (OsCDPK20 and OsMPK17), and miRNAs (OSA-MIR397A and OSA-MIR397B) were predicted to target some of the identified conserved modular DEGs. Out of the 24 conserved and up-regulated modular DEGs, 19 were yet to be experimentally validated as Zn deficiency responsive genes. Findings from this study provide a comprehensive insight on the molecular mechanisms of Zn deficiency response and may facilitate gene and pathway prioritization for improving Zn use efficiency and Zn biofortification in rice.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1672630822000774ricebiofortificationzinc deficiencygene expressionweighted gene co-expression network analysis
spellingShingle Blaise Pascal Muvunyi
Lu Xiang
Zhan Junhui
He Sang
Ye Guoyou
Identification of Potential Zinc Deficiency Responsive Genes and Regulatory Pathways in Rice by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis
Rice Science
rice
biofortification
zinc deficiency
gene expression
weighted gene co-expression network analysis
title Identification of Potential Zinc Deficiency Responsive Genes and Regulatory Pathways in Rice by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis
title_full Identification of Potential Zinc Deficiency Responsive Genes and Regulatory Pathways in Rice by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis
title_fullStr Identification of Potential Zinc Deficiency Responsive Genes and Regulatory Pathways in Rice by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis
title_full_unstemmed Identification of Potential Zinc Deficiency Responsive Genes and Regulatory Pathways in Rice by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis
title_short Identification of Potential Zinc Deficiency Responsive Genes and Regulatory Pathways in Rice by Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis
title_sort identification of potential zinc deficiency responsive genes and regulatory pathways in rice by weighted gene co expression network analysis
topic rice
biofortification
zinc deficiency
gene expression
weighted gene co-expression network analysis
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1672630822000774
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AT zhanjunhui identificationofpotentialzincdeficiencyresponsivegenesandregulatorypathwaysinricebyweightedgenecoexpressionnetworkanalysis
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