Exploring the Dynamic Adaptive Responses of Epimedium pubescens to Phosphorus Deficiency Through Combined Transcriptome and miRNA Analysis [miRNA-Seq]

In the early stages (30 days) of phosphorus deficiency stress, Epimedium pubescens leaves cope with short-term phosphorus deficiency by increasing the expression of related genes such as carbon metabolism, flavonoid synthesis and hormone signal transduction pathways, producing sufficient energy, scavenging ROS, and adjusting plant morphology. However, with the extension of stress duration to 90 days, the expression of genes related to phosphorus cycling and phosphorus recovery (PHT1-4, PHO1 homolog3, PAP) was upregulated, and transcriptional changes and post-transcriptional regulation (miRNA regulation and protein modification) were enhanced to resist long-term phosphorus deficiency stress. In addition, bHLH, MYB, NAC, WRKY and other families also play an important role in regulating gene expression and coping with phosphorus deficiency stress, especially MYB60 negatively regulates flavonoid synthesis pathway, which is significantly down-regulated in leaves treated with phosphorus deficiency for 30 days, thereby promoting the accumulation of flavonoid compounds in leaves. Overall design: In order to study the response mechanism and flavonoid accumulation of leaves to phosphorus deficiency stress in Epimedium pubescens, we set up two different phosphorus levels (-P: 0mmol/L, +P: 1mmol/L) to sand culture the plants and maintain the consistency of other growth conditions. We then performed gene expression profiling using data obtained from RNA-seq of leaves from Epimedium pubescens under two phosphorus treatments and at two time points Comparative analysis of gene expression profiles of RNA-seq data from Epimedium pubescens leaves under 30d-P, 30d+P, 90d-P, 90d+P treatments