Comparative analysis morphology, anatomical structure and transcriptional regulatory network of chlorophyll biosynthesis in Oryza longistaminata, O. sativa and their F1 generation

Zhihang Hu; Xinyu Chen; Liexiang Huangfu; Shaobo Shao; Xiang Tao; Lishuang Song; Wenzhi Tong; Chuan-Deng Yi

doi:10.7717/peerj.12099

Comparative analysis morphology, anatomical structure and transcriptional regulatory network of chlorophyll biosynthesis in Oryza longistaminata, O. sativa and their F₁ generation

PeerJ. 2021 Sep 6:9:e12099. doi: 10.7717/peerj.12099. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Zhihang Hu¹, Xinyu Chen², Liexiang Huangfu¹, Shaobo Shao¹, Xiang Tao¹, Lishuang Song¹, Wenzhi Tong¹, Chuan-Deng Yi^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology/Key Laboratory of Plant Functional Genomics of the Ministry of Education/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, Agricultural College of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
² College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.
³ Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China.

Abstract

Oryza longistaminata, a perennial wild species, is widely distributed in the African continent. It has strong tolerance to biotic and abiotic stresses, and high biomass production on poor soils. Chlorophyll biosynthesis is important for photosynthesis in rice. However, the chlorophyll biosynthesis and related gene profiles of O. longistaminata and its descendants remained unclear. Here, the F₁ generation of O. sativa and O. longistaminata were obtained. Then, the comparative analysis morphology, anatomical structure, and transcriptional regulatory networks of chlorophyll biosynthesis were detected and analyzed. Results showed that the F₁ generation has obvious long awn, similar with that of the male parent. The purple color of the long awn is different from that of the male parent. Microstructural results showed that the flag leaves of F₁ have large mesophyll cell gaps in the upper- and lower-positions, small mesophyll cell gaps in the middle position, and more chloroplasts. Increased chlorophyll content was also observed in the F₁ generation. In the lower-position flag leaves, the total chlorophyll contents of F₁ were 1.55 and 1.5 times those of O. sativa and O. longistaminata, respectively. POR, MgCH and HEMA1 showed higher expression levels than the other related genes selected in the chlorophyll biosynthesis pathway. The HEMA1 expression level in the middle-position flag leaves of O. longistaminata was the highest, and it was 2.83 and 2.51 times that of O. sativa and F₁, respectively. The expression level of DVR gene in lower-position flag leaves of F₁ were 93.16% and 95.06% lower than those of O. sativa and O. longistaminata, respectively. This study provided a potential reference for studying the photosynthesis and heterosis utilization of O. longistaminata.

Keywords: Anatomical structure; Chlorophyll; Morphology; Oryza longistaminata; Oryza sativa; Transcriptional regulatory.

Grants and funding

This study was financed by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31571624 and 31071382), the Key Natural Science Project in University of Jiangsu Province, China (15KJA210004), and the Priority Academic Program Development of Jiangsu Higher Education Institutions, China (PAPD). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.