Transcriptome Analysis Reveals the Response of Iron Homeostasis to Early Feeding by Small Brown Planthopper in Rice

It
has been documented that planthopper attacks change iron (Fe)
content of rice plants. To investigate whether planthopper attacks
change rice Fe homeostasis at the molecular level, the response of
rice Fe homeostasis to early feeding by small brown planthopper (SBPH)
was examined by transcriptome profiling. Results showed that the concentration
of Fe and nicotianamine decreased in resistant rice genotype and increased
in susceptible rice genotype after attack by SBPH. Transcriptome profiling
showed that 13 and 21 Fe homeostasis-related genes encoded enzymes
that were involved in phytosiderophore biosynthesis and that Fe transporters
and regulators displayed altered expression in resistant and susceptible
rice genotypes, respectively, after attack by SBPH. This revealing
response of Fe homeostasis to planthopper attack in rice at the molecular
level provided new insight into rice plants’ response to planthopper
attack and uncovered a novel physiological response of rice to planthopper
attack, which extended our knowledge of the early interaction between
rice and SBPH.