Abstract Detail



Comparative Genomics/Transcriptomics

Wilson, Rachel [1], Michaels, Helen [2].

Differences Between Transcriptomes of Seed Coat Phenotypes of a Wild Lupine.

Multigenetic traits, specifically seed coat phenotypes, are poorly understood in domesticated plants, but this knowledge gap can sometimes be filled by studying wild relatives. Pigments responsible for seed colors are deposited in the seed coat and typically involve complex pathways with multiple layers of expression controlling pigmentation compounds, like anthocyanins. The Anthocyanin Biosynthetic Pathway (ABP) plays a central role in the polymorphic phenotypes of seed coats in many legumes, a family that includes the Lupines, home to four domesticated crops and species of conservation concern, including Lupinus perennis.  This study aims to identify candidate genes that might be responsible for color differences in the polymorphic seeds of this species. Using RNAseq, we produced de novo assemblies of the seed coat transcriptomes of immature seeds of white and speckled seeds using two stages of immature seeds (a pre-pigment and post-pigment stage) to increase the chance of constructing transcriptomes containing pigment transcripts differences between phenotypes. Putative functional annotations of the seed coat transcripts were assigned using multiple databases. Differential expression analysis revealed 58 candidates showing changes in expression patterns correlated between the two phenotypes, involving 36 up expressed and 22 down expressed genes. Two pertained to the ABP and several genes were previously reported to be involved in plant defense, such as Powdery mildew resistance genes. Further work is necessary to verify these results and to examine the seed coat transcriptome in greater detail. These results have important implications for endangered butterfly habitat restoration and crop breeding in the genus Lupinus and suggest that these seed coat phenotypes may be involved in belowground biotic interactions.


1 - University of Vermont, Plant Biology, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
2 - Bowling Green State University, Department Of Biological Sciences, Life Science Building, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, United States

Keywords:
transcriptomics
Seed coat
Anthocyanins
Fabaceae
lupinus
polymorphic.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P, Comparative Genomics and Transcriptomics Posters
Location: Virtual/Virtual
Date: Monday, July 27th, 2020
Time: 5:00 PM Time and date to be determined
Number: PGT004
Abstract ID:623
Candidate for Awards:None


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