Transcriptome profiles reveal that gibberellin-related genes regulate weeping traits in crape myrtle

Suzhen Li; Tangchun Zheng; Xiaokang Zhuo; Zhuojiao Li; Lulu Li; Ping Li; Like Qiu; Huitang Pan; Jia Wang; Tangren Cheng; Qixiang Zhang

doi:10.1038/s41438-020-0279-3

Transcriptome profiles reveal that gibberellin-related genes regulate weeping traits in crape myrtle

Hortic Res. 2020 Apr 1:7:54. doi: 10.1038/s41438-020-0279-3. eCollection 2020.

Authors

Suzhen Li^#^{1

2}, Tangchun Zheng^#^{1

2}, Xiaokang Zhuo^{1

2}, Zhuojiao Li^{1

2}, Lulu Li^{1

2}, Ping Li^{1

2}, Like Qiu^{1

2}, Huitang Pan², Jia Wang², Tangren Cheng², Qixiang Zhang^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ 1Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Tree Breeding by Molecular Design, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 China.
² 2Beijing Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plants Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Engineering Research Center of Landscape Environment of the Ministry of Education, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants of Ministry of Education, School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 China.

^# Contributed equally.

Abstract

Plant architecture includes vital traits that influence and benefit crops, and economically important trees. Different plant architectures provide natural beauty. Weeping ornamental plants are aesthetically appealing to people. The regulatory mechanism controlling the weeping trait is poorly understood in crape myrtle. To investigate the weeping trait mechanism, transcriptional profiling of different organs in weeping and upright crape myrtle was performed based on phenotype. Phenotypic and histological analyses demonstrated that endodermal cells were absent, and that new shoot phenotypes could be rescued by the GA3 treatment of weeping plants. The transcriptional analysis and coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) of differentially expressed genes indicated that GA synthesis and signal transduction pathways play a role in weeping traits. When the expression level of a negative element of GA signaling, LfiGRAS1, was reduced by virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), new branches grew in infected plants in a negatively geotropic manner. An integrated analysis implied that GA had a strong influence on weeping crape myrtle by interacting with other factors. This study helps to elucidate the mechanism governing the weeping trait and can improve the efficiency of breeding in Lagerstroemia.

Keywords: Molecular engineering in plants; Plant molecular biology.