Transcriptomic analysis of antagonistic effects of gibberellin and abscisic acid on petal growth of Gerbere hybrida

To screen differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and key regulators with potential importance in petal growth regulated by GA or/and ABA, RNA-seq technique was employed. Differences on global transcription in petal were observed in response to GA and ABA. Target genes antagonistically regulated by GA and ABA were identified.The pathways associated with the regulation of petal growth after application of either GA or ABA were found. Genes related to the antagonistic GA and ABA regulation of petal growth showed distinct patterns, with transcription factors (TFs) appeared during the early stage (2 h) of treatment, while genes from the “apoptosis” and “cell wall organization” category expressed at later stages (12 h). In summary, this study presents the first global expression patterns of hormone-regulated transcripts in G. hybrida petal which will help reveal the molecular regulation network of petal morphogenesis and provide new theoretical basis and gene resources for flower molecular breeding.