Drought response transcriptomes are altered in poplar with reduced tonoplast sucrose transporter expression

• DOI: 10.1038/srep33655
• Publication Date: 2016-09-19T09:49:44Z
• Authors: Liang-Jiao Xue; Christopher J. Frost; Chung-Jui Tsai; Scott A. Harding
• Keywords: Jasmonate; Methyl jasmonate

Transgenic Populus tremula x alba (717-1B4) plants with reduced expression of a tonoplast sucrose efflux transporter, PtaSUT4, exhibit shoot growth compared to wild type (WT) under sustained mild drought. The present study was undertaken determine whether SUT4-RNAi directly or indirectly altered poplar predisposition and/or response changes in soil water availability. While and hexose levels were constitutively elevated organs, responses drought most the root tips plants. Prior any treatment, transcript abscisic acid biosynthetic genes bark/vegetative storage proteins suggested metabolism RNAi Stronger drought-stimulation stress-inducible encoding late-embryogenesis-abundant transgenic roots consistent increased vulnerability drying. Transcript evidence an effect on intercellular trafficking by aquaporins stem xylem during drying recovery. Co-expression network analysis predicted integration sensing/signaling ethylene jasmonate WT roots. overall conclusion is that steepened shoot-root sugar gradient sensitivity decreasing