Analysis of global gene expression in Brachypodium distachyon reveals extensive network plasticity in response to abiotic stress

PLoS One. 2014 Jan 29;9(1):e87499. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0087499. eCollection 2014.

Abstract

Brachypodium distachyon is a close relative of many important cereal crops. Abiotic stress tolerance has a significant impact on productivity of agriculturally important food and feedstock crops. Analysis of the transcriptome of Brachypodium after chilling, high-salinity, drought, and heat stresses revealed diverse differential expression of many transcripts. Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis revealed 22 distinct gene modules with specific profiles of expression under each stress. Promoter analysis implicated short DNA sequences directly upstream of module members in the regulation of 21 of 22 modules. Functional analysis of module members revealed enrichment in functional terms for 10 of 22 network modules. Analysis of condition-specific correlations between differentially expressed gene pairs revealed extensive plasticity in the expression relationships of gene pairs. Photosynthesis, cell cycle, and cell wall expression modules were down-regulated by all abiotic stresses. Modules which were up-regulated by each abiotic stress fell into diverse and unique gene ontology GO categories. This study provides genomics resources and improves our understanding of abiotic stress responses of Brachypodium.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acclimatization
  • Brachypodium / genetics*
  • Brachypodium / metabolism
  • Gene Ontology
  • Genes, Plant
  • Metabolic Networks and Pathways / genetics
  • Molecular Sequence Annotation
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Salt Tolerance
  • Stress, Physiological*
  • Transcriptome*

Substances

  • Plant Proteins

Grants and funding

This work was supported by a grant to TCM (DE-FG02-08ER64630) from the DOE - Plant Feedstock Genomics for Bioenergy Program. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.