Dataset Information

Whole transcriptome characterization of the effects of dehydration and rehydration on Cladonia rangiferina, the grey reindeer lichen.

ABSTRACT: We have utilized the raw sequence data from our earlier investigation of the lichen transcriptome to design a custom DNA microarray for C. rangiferina in order to study the transcripts expressed in lichen thallus during dehydration and rehydration. The aim of this study was to identify the genes most differentially expressed during the rehydration and drying processes and also to get a more integrative view of the molecular players who may play roles in the processes required for lichen desiccation tolerance and the rapid re-establishment of photosynthesis through functional annotation.

ORGANISM(S): Cladonia rangiferina

PROVIDER: GSE47624 | GEO | 2013/11/25

SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA206556

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:Sporobolus stapfianus is a desiccation tolerant (DT) grass and a member of the Poaceae family alongside prominent crop and forage species. Despite the worldwide distribution of this family, most of its species are vulnerable to water loss within their vegetative tissues. As a DT species, S. stapfianus, could, therefore, serve as a model species for identifying the molecular changes that enabled such a rare occurrence of the DT phenotype in resurrection grasses and the implications of such a unique adaptation for agriculture. A comprehensive gene expression profiling was performed in plants subjected to a dehydration/rehydration cycle using NimbleGen microarrays hybridization method. Our results showed that most transcripts were high in the hydrated state of S. stapfianus leaf tissues and that minor dehydration (> 60% relative water content; RWC) did not induce most transcripts, but did repress photosynthetic activity, which show the importance of curtailing the production of toxic elements to the DT phenotype. It took a loss of 40% RWC for induction of most transcripts. This shows that this species is pre-equipped to deal with mild dehydration, but requires stress-induced activation mechanisms to prepare for desiccation. In agreement with our transcriptomic data, a global metabolic analysis conducted in this species has shown that most metabolites accumulate to their highest levels below 45% RWC, which suggests the importance of those late stages of dehydration in preparing resurrection grasses for desiccation and for early stages of rehydration. In most cases, a 12-h rehydration was sufficient to reinstate pre-stress expression levels, which shows that only partial damage occurred during drying. Unlike during dehydration, our metabolomic data profiled after rehydration showed that there is no clear correlation between gene expression and metabolic abundance, which suggests that most of the compounds that are produced during rehydration are quickly utilized in active metabolism of restoration. The findings of the paper show that S. stapfianus is primed to respond to mild dehydration, although severe dehydration require inducible response, with 40-30% RWC being the peak of gene expression. As for photosynthesis, this species cease its photosynthetic activity even at high water levels (85% RWC) alleviating the need to activate antioxidants activity during mild dehydration.

Dataset Information

Whole transcriptome characterization of the effects of dehydration and rehydration on Cladonia rangiferina, the grey reindeer lichen.

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