Differentiation of the high night temperature response in leaf segments of rice cultivars with contrasting tolerance

Transcript and metabolite profiling were performed in leaf segments (sheath, base, middle, tip) of six rice cultivars with different sensitivity to high night temperatures (HNT). On the phenotypic level, leaves of HNT-sensitive rice cultivars showed clear stress symptoms by chlorosis and necrosis while almost no leaf phenotype different from the control was observed for the tolerant varieties. The aim of this study was to identify molecular key-player for HNT-sensitivity causing leaf senescence. Overall design: Leaf sheath and segments of leaf blade (base, middle, tip) of six rice cultivars of the subspecies indica and japonica were analyzed. High night temperature (HNT) sensitivity was determined before and 3 cultivars of each class (tolerant, sensitive) were investigated under two different conditions (control and HNT treatment). In total, 48 samples were sequenced representing one cultivar for each condition and segment. Each sample was a pool of 5 individual replicates.