Integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolome profling reveal molecular mechanisms of salt tolerance between salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive Bougainvillea cultivars

Salt stress is one unfavorable factor of global climate change that adversely threatens plant growth. Given the potential of salt-tolerance bougainvilleas in the growing saline fields, It is needed to identify novel salt-tolerant genes and new varieties of salt-tolerant bougainvilleas in order to better understand the molecular regulation mechanism of salt tolerance in Bougainvillea . In this study, the highest & the lowest survival were selected after 500mmol/L salt treatment for 49 days among 31 cultivars. The differential expressed genes, molecular pathways to adapt 500mmol/L salt treatment by comparative RNA sequencing at both stages, together with physiological parameters and enzymes analysis. Salt-susceptible (TH) and -tolerant (YB) genotypes revealed 3982 and 3463 differential expressed genes, respectively. Biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, and plant signal transduction mechanisms were highly enriched.