Genes highly overexpressed in salt-stressed Young oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) plants

ABSTRACT RNA-seq is a technique based on the large-scale sequencing of transcript-derived cDNAs using next-generation sequencing platforms mostly used today to characterize an organism’s transcriptome. The analysis of RNA-seq data allows for identifying genes differentially expressed in a given condition, such as salt stress. This study aimed to search and characterize genes from the African oil palm (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) highly up-regulated during salt stress, with a long-term goal of gene promoter prospection and validation. The apical leaves from the control (electrical conductivity of ~2 dS m-1) and salt-stressed (~40 dS m-1) young oil palm plants, collected at 5 and 12 days after the beginning of the stress, were subjected to extraction of total RNA, with three plants (replicates) per treatment. The complete genome ofE. guineensis, available at the National Center for Biotechnology Information, was used as the reference genome - BioProject PRJNA192219. The differential expression analysis led to the selection for further characterization of seven genes, which had increased expressions of 37-84 times under salt stress. The strategy used in this study enabled the selection of seven salt-responsive genes highly up-regulated during salt stress, and some of them coded for proteins already reported as responsible for salinity tolerance in other plant species through over-expression or knockout.

摘要 RNA测序（RNA-seq）是一种依托当前主流下一代测序平台，对转录本衍生的互补DNA（cDNA）开展大规模测序的技术，主要用于解析生物体的转录组。通过对RNA-seq数据进行分析，可鉴定特定条件下的差异表达基因，如盐胁迫环境。本研究旨在筛选并鉴定非洲油棕（*Elaeis guineensis* Jacq.）在盐胁迫过程中显著上调表达的基因，长期目标为基因启动子的发掘与验证。本研究设置对照（电导率约2 dS·m⁻¹）与盐胁迫（电导率约40 dS·m⁻¹）两组处理，对盐胁迫启动后第5天和第12天的幼龄油棕植株顶芽叶进行取样，每个处理设置3株生物学重复。随后提取各组样品的总RNA。本研究以美国国家生物技术信息中心（National Center for Biotechnology Information, NCBI）公开的非洲油棕完整基因组作为参考基因组，对应生物项目编号为PRJNA192219。经差异表达分析，最终筛选出7个在盐胁迫下表达量上调37~84倍的基因用于后续研究。本研究采用的实验策略成功获得7个盐胁迫响应基因，这些基因在盐胁迫过程中显著上调表达，其中部分基因编码的蛋白已被证实可通过过表达或敲除手段提升其他植物物种的耐盐性。