Physio-biochemical integrators and transcriptomic analysis decipher nano-elicitation associated response during micropropagation in Dendrocalamus asper

Bamboos are perennial, arborescent, monocarpic and industrially important non-timber species. Its significance extends across various aspects like carbon sequestration, biodiversity support, construction and technology development. However, traditional methods through vegetative propagation showed an insufficient multiplication potential. In present study, we investigated the impact of citrate and CTAB coated gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) on the in vitro proliferation, photosynthetic pigment content and antioxidant potential of Dendrocalamus asper Backer ex K. Heyne. It was observed that various morpho-physiological and biochemical parameters were differentially affected along the concentration gradient of citrate-AuNPs and CTAB-AuNPs. In vitro shoot proliferation, photosynthetic pigments and antioxidant activities were reported to be highest in MS medium supplemented with 6-benzyl-aminopurine and citrate-AuNPs in D. asper. In contrast, MS medium supplemented with CTAB-AuNPs showed reduced shoot proliferation, photosynthetic pigments and antioxidant activities. However, still very little is known about the mechanism of AuNPs in in vitro proliferation and regulation of physiological and biochemical properties. Moreover, identification of genes regulating in vitro proliferation facilitate our basic understanding of the molecular regulation of AuNPs elicitation in modulating various physiological and biochemical activities during micropropagation. GO enrichment analysis, KEGG pathway and differentially expressed genes involved in in vitro modulation of different biological processes and molecular functions regulated by AuNPs elicitation. Thus, our findings provide new insight into the AuNPs elicitation for in vitro mass scale propagation of bamboos to provide sustainable resource for future industrial applications.