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Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa L. ssp. pekinensis) is sensitive to high temperature, which will cause the B. rapa to remain in a semi-dormancy state. Foliar spray of GB prior to heat stress was proven to enhance B. rapa thermotolerance. In order to understand the molecular mechanisms of GB-primed resistance or adaptation towards heat stress, we investigated the transcriptomes of GB-primed and non-primed heat-sensitive B. rapa ‘Beijing No. 3’ variety by RNA-Seq analysis. A total of 582 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified from GB-primed plants exposed to heat stress relative to non-primed plants under heat stress and were assigned to 350 gene ontology (GO) pathways and 69 KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) pathways. The analysis of the KEGG enrichment pathways revealed that the most abundantly up-regulated pathways were protein processing in endoplasmic reticulum (14 genes), followed by plant hormone signal transduction (12 genes), ribosome (8 genes), MAPK signaling pathway (8 genes), homologous recombination (7 genes), nucleotide excision repair metabolism (5 genes), glutathione metabolism (4 genes), and ascorbate and aldarate metabolism (4 genes). The most abundantly down-regulated pathways were plant-pathogen interaction (14 genes), followed by phenylpropanoid biosynthesis (7 genes); arginine and proline metabolism (6 genes); cutin, suberine, and wax biosynthesis (4 genes); and tryptophan metabolism (4 genes). Several calcium sensing/transducing proteins, as well as transcription factors associated with abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), auxin, and cytokinin hormones were either up- or down-regulated in GB-primed B. rapa plants under heat stress. In particular, expression of the genes for antioxidant defense, heat shock response, and DNA damage repair systems were highly increased by GB priming. On the other hand, many of the genes involved in the calcium sensors and cell surface receptors involved in plant innate immunity and the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites were down-regulated in the absence of pathogen elicitors in GB-primed B. rapa seedlings. Overall GB priming activated ABA and SA signaling pathways but deactivated auxin and cytokinin signaling pathways while suppressing the innate immunity in B. rapa seedlings exposed to heat stress. The present study provides a preliminary understanding of the thermotolerance mechanisms in GB-primed plants and is of great importance in developing thermotolerant B. rapa cultivars by using the identified DEGs through genetic modification.

Field co-infection of multiple viruses results in considerable losses in the yield and quality of storage roots in sweet potato. However, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying developmental disorders of sweet potato subjected to co-infection by multiple viruses. Here, a comparative transcriptomic analysis was performed to reveal the transcriptional alterations in sweet potato plants infected (VCSP) and non-infected (VFSP) by Sweet potato mild mottle virus (SPFMV), Sweet potato virus Y (SPV2) and Sweet potato virus G (SPVG). A total of 1580 and 12,566 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in leaves and storage roots of VFSP and VCSP plants, respectively. In leaves, 707 upregulated and 773 downregulated genes were identified, whereas 5653 upregulated and 6913 downregulated genes were identified in storage roots. Gene Ontology (GO) classification and pathway enrichment analysis showed that the expression of genes involved in chloroplast and photosynthesis and brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis in leaves and the vitamin biosynthetic process in storage roots was inhibited by co-infection of three viruses: SPFMV, SPV2, and SPVG. This was likely closely related to better photosynthesis and higher contents of Vitamin C (Vc) in storage roots of VFSP than that of VCSP. While some genes involved in ribosome and secondary metabolite-related pathways in leaves and alanine, aspartate, and glutamate metabolism in storage roots displayed higher expression in VCSP than in VFSP. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis demonstrated that the expression patterns of 26 DEGs, including 16 upregulated genes and 10 downregulated genes were consistent with the RNA-seq data from VFSP and VCSP. Taken together, this study integrates the results of morphology, physiology, and comparative transcriptome analyses in leaves and storage roots of VCSP and VFSP to reveal transcriptional alterations in growth- and development-related genes, providing new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying developmental disorders of sweet potato subjected to co-infection by multiple viruses.

Fatty acid desaturases are rate-limiting enzymes in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis. The transcription factor peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha b (PPARαb) regulates lipid metabolism in mammals, however, the mechanism whereby PPARαb regulates fatty acid desaturases is largely unknown in fish. In this study, we report the full length cDNA sequence of Trachinotus ovatus fatty acid desaturase, which encodes a 380 amino acid polypeptide, possessing three characteristic histidine domains. Phylogenetic and gene exon/intron structure analyses showed typical phylogeny: the T. ovatus fatty acid desaturase contained a highly conserved exon/intron architecture. Moreover, functional characterization by heterologous expression in yeast indicated that T. ovatus desaturase was a fatty acid desaturase, with Δ4/Δ5/Δ8 Fad activity. Promoter activity assays indicated that ToFads6 desaturase transcription was positively regulated by PPARαb. Similarly, PPARαb RNA interference decreased ToPPARαb and ToFads6 expression at the mRNA and protein levels in a time-dependent manner. Mutation analyses showed that the M2 binding site of PPARαb was functionally important for protein binding, and transcriptional activity of the ToFads6 promoter was significantly decreased after targeted mutation of M2. Electrophoretic mobile shift assays confirmed that PPARαb interacted with the binding site of the ToFads6 promoter region, to regulate ToFads6 transcription. In summary, PPARαb played a vital role in ToFads6 regulation and may promote the biosynthesis of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids by regulating ToFads6 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]