The involvement of long non-coding RNAs in the formation of high temperature-induced grain chalkiness in rice

A period of exposure to high ambient temperatures can damage the process of grain filling in rice, potentially inducing the endosperm to become chalky. Given the established involvement of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in regulating plant development and its stress response, the purpose here was to reveal the extent to which lncRNA activity contributes to the endosperm chalkiness syndrome. Among 578 lncRNAs identified in spikelets harvested ten days post anthesis from plants exposed to high temperature stress, 14 were found to be more abundant than in control plants, while 45 were less abundant. Of these 59 differentially abundant sequences, 32 were identified as interacting with five mRNAs involved in starch metabolism and catabolism, indicating an involvement of these lncRNAs in starch formation in the endosperm, and hence in causing the chalkiness syndrome. Overall design: lncRNA and mRNA profiles of rice 10DAP under normal temperature and high temperature conditions were generated by ssRNA sequencing, in triplicate, using Hiseq 4000.