Total and mitochondrial transcriptomic and proteomic analysis revealing energy metabolic mechanism of rapid growth initiation in Phyllostachys edulis

Moso bamboo is an important forest species with a variety of ecological, economic and cultural values. As one of the fastest-growing plants on the planet, it has attracted much attention worldwide. In this study, we successfully isolated mitochondria from winter shoots (young shoots that grow underground) and spring shoots (new shoots just out of the ground) of moso bamboo, and performed a total and mitochondrial transcriptomic and proteomic analysis using RNA sequencing and Label-free quantitative proteomics technology. RT-qPCR and multiple-reaction monitoring (MRM) methodologies were conducted separately to quantify relative gene expression and the abundance of proteins associated with carbohydrate and energy metabolism. The physiological indexes of bamboo shoots related to energy metabolism were also characterized in terms of their contents of starch and soluble sugars, mitochondrial respiration and glycolysis. The main objective of the study was to augment the genomic and proteomic data available for moso bamboo, identify key genes/proteins involved in energy metabolism, and systematically understand the energy metabolism mechanism of shoots growth during the transitory stage from initial growth to rapid growth. The data obtained in this study provide a foundation for the energy regulation mechanism of rapid growth initiation in moso bamboo.