Digital gene expression analysis during floral transition in pak choi (Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis)

• Main Authors: Xueting Wang, Hongxia Song, Mengxia Sun, Zhujun Zhu, Guoming Xing, Xiaoyong Xu, Meiying Gao, Leiping Hou, Meilan Li
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2017-07-01
• Series: Biotechnology & Biotechnological Equipment
• Subjects: Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis; floral transition; digital gene expression
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13102818.2017.1307141

Digital gene expression profiling technology was used to examine the changes in gene expression during floral transition in pak choi. A total of 1486 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) during floral transition were identified, of which 505 were upregulated and 981 were downregulated. Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that the proteins encoded by DEGs were mainly located in eight cell regions including the apoplast, plant-type cell wall, chloroplast, etc. They had eight kinds of molecular functions such as transcription factor and oxidoreductase, and involved in 72 biological processes containing jasmonic acid and salicylic acid metabolism, glucose metabolism, the MAPK cascade, etc. Further pathway enrichment analysis showed that four metabolic pathways were significantly enriched by DEGs. DEGs that exhibited at least a 10-fold difference were analyzed in detail. Results showed that flavonoid metabolism and phenylpropanoid biosynthesis (or pathways) were significantly enriched and the corresponding gene number was the highest. Moreover, 15 genes among the highly expressed genes were involved in reproductive development, of which five homologues in Arabidopsis thaliana were directly related to floral transition, which were predicted to have a similar function in pak choi.