Abstract
Abstract Root system architecture ( RSA ) plays a vital role in plant adaptation and productivity under water‐deficit environments. In this study, we use two maize inbreeds to investigate root phenotypic and early transcriptional responses to water‐deficit stress. As evidenced by improved survival rate and photosynthetic efficiency at early seedling and late vegetative stage, CIMBL 55 was characterized as a tolerant genotype versus sensitive SHEN 5003. Image‐based root phenotyping revealed that drought tolerant cultivar had notably different RSA features from drought sensitive cultivar including larger root size, longer root length, and more number of lateral roots and seminal roots. Dynamic transcriptome investigations on primary and seminal root integrating differential gene expression, temporal gene co‐expression, and weighted gene co‐expression network analysis ( WGCNA ) revealed a high degree of genotype‐ and root type‐specificity in response to PEG ‐induced water deficit. The higher drought tolerability of CIMBL 55 versus SHEN 5003 can be attributed to the enhanced expression of genes associated with antioxidant defense and a higher proportion of water‐deficit responsive genes. Upon water deficit, seminal roots exhibited more dramatic transcriptional changes than the primary root, and a more exclusive functional association with stress response. Genome‐wide WGCNA identified system‐level functionality of genes associated with specific root traits. Multiple root‐specific and root‐predominant hub genes were identified with functions involved in transcriptional regulation, root development, and drought response. Conclusively, integrated root phenotypic and transcriptomic analyses identified important root system architectures and water‐deficit responsive gene networks in maize. Findings will serve a valuable resource that merits in‐depth functional analyses toward a better understanding of RSA ‐associated drought tolerance in maize.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
CIMBL 55 had better survival and photosynthetic efficiency than SHEN 5003 at early seedling and late vegetative stages.
- Material
- CIMBL 55e0
- Organ / stage
- early seedling and late vegetative stagee0
- Outcome
- survival rate and photosynthetic efficiencye0
- Direction
- improvede0
- Comparator
- SHEN 5003e0
Zea maysOrganisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“improved survival rate and photosynthetic efficiency at early seedling and late vegetative stage, CIMBL 55 was characterized as a tolerant genotype versus sensitive SHEN 5003”
Claim · model-written summary
The drought tolerant maize cultivar had larger roots, longer roots, and more lateral and seminal roots than the sensitive cultivar.
- Material
- drought tolerant cultivare0
- Outcome
- root size, longer root length, and more number of lateral roots and seminal rootse0
- Direction
- largere0
- Comparator
- drought sensitive cultivare0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“drought tolerant cultivar had notably different RSA features from drought sensitive cultivar including larger root size, longer root length, and more number of lateral roots and seminal roots”
Claim · model-written summary
Primary and seminal root transcriptional responses to PEG-induced water deficit were highly specific to genotype and root type.
- Organ / stage
- primary and seminal roote0
- Treatment
- PEG ‐induced water deficite0
- Outcome
- genotype‐ and root type‐specificitye0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“Dynamic transcriptome investigations on primary and seminal root integrating differential gene expression, temporal gene co‐expression, and weighted gene co‐expression network analysis ( WGCNA ) revealed a high degree of genotype‐ and root type‐specificity in response to PEG ‐induced water deficit”
Claim · model-written summary
CIMBL 55 showed enhanced expression of antioxidant defense genes relative to SHEN 5003.
- Material
- CIMBL 55e0
- Outcome
- expression of genes associated with antioxidant defensee0
- Direction
- enhancede0
- Comparator
- SHEN 5003e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“higher drought tolerability of CIMBL 55 versus SHEN 5003 can be attributed to the enhanced expression of genes associated with antioxidant defense”
Claim · model-written summary
CIMBL 55 had a higher proportion of water-deficit responsive genes than SHEN 5003.
- Material
- CIMBL 55e0
- Outcome
- proportion of water‐deficit responsive genese0
- Direction
- highere0
- Comparator
- SHEN 5003e0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“higher drought tolerability of CIMBL 55 versus SHEN 5003 can be attributed to the enhanced expression of genes associated with antioxidant defense and a higher proportion of water‐deficit responsive genes”
Claim · model-written summary
Under water deficit, seminal roots showed more dramatic transcriptional changes than primary roots.
- Organ / stage
- seminal rootse0
- Treatment
- water deficite0
- Outcome
- transcriptional changese0
- Direction
- more dramatice0
- Comparator
- primary roote0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“Upon water deficit, seminal roots exhibited more dramatic transcriptional changes than the primary root”
Claim · model-written summary
Seminal roots had a more exclusive functional association with stress response than primary roots under water deficit.
- Organ / stage
- seminal rootse0
- Treatment
- water deficite0
- Outcome
- functional association with stress responsee0
- Direction
- more exclusivee0
- Comparator
- primary roote0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“Upon water deficit, seminal roots exhibited more dramatic transcriptional changes than the primary root, and a more exclusive functional association with stress response”
Claim · model-written summary
Genome-wide WGCNA identified system-level functionality of genes associated with specific root traits.
- Outcome
- system‐level functionality of genes associated with specific root traitse0
Not reportedComparatorValue
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“Genome‐wide WGCNA identified system‐level functionality of genes associated with specific root traits”
Claim · model-written summary
Multiple root-specific and root-predominant hub genes involved in transcriptional regulation, root development, and drought response were identified.
- Outcome
- root‐specific and root‐predominant hub genese0
Not reportedDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
t0“maize”
e0“Multiple root‐specific and root‐predominant hub genes were identified with functions involved in transcriptional regulation, root development, and drought response”