Comparative transcriptome analysis of coleorhiza development in japonica and Indica rice

Background: Coleorhiza hairs, are sheath-like outgrowth organs in the seeds of Poaceae family that look like root hair but develop from the coleorhiza epidermal cells during seed imbibition. The major role of coleorhiza hair in seed germination involves facilitating water uptake and nutrient supply for seed germination. However, molecular basis of coleorhiza hair development and underlying genes and metabolic pathways during seed germination are largely unknown and need to be established. 

Results: In this study, a comparative transcriptome analysis of coleorhiza hairs from japonica and indica rice suggested that DEGs in embryo samples from seeds with embryo in air (EIA) as compared to embryo from seeds completely covered by water (CBW) were enriched in water deprivation, abscisic acid (ABA) and auxin metabolism, carbohydrate catabolism and phosphorus metabolism in coleorhiza hairs in both cultivars. Up-regulation of key metabolic genes in ABA, auxin and dehydrin and aquaporin genes may help maintain the basic development of coleorhiza hair in japonica and indica in EIA samples during both early and late stages. Additionally, DEGs involved in glutathione metabolism and carbon metabolism are upregulated while DEGs involved in amino acid and nucleotide sugar metabolism are downregulated in EIA suggesting induction of oxidative stress-alleviating genes and less priority to primary metabolism. 

Conclusions: Taken together, results in this study could provide novel aspects about the molecular signaling that could be involved in coleorhiza hair development in different types of rice cultivars during seed germination and may give some hints for breeders to improve seed germination efficiency under moderate drought conditions.