2023 journal article
Transcriptomic analysis of zoysiagrass (<i> Zoysia</i><i> japonica)</i> provides novel insights into the molecular basis of cold acclimation
GRASS RESEARCH, 3.
open access via doi.org (publisher)<italic>Z. japonica</italic> is a warm-season perennial turfgrass commonly grown in the southeastern United States for its relatively low input requirements and general tolerance to drought, shade, and salinity. Improving freezing tolerance is critical for <italic>Z. japonica</italic>, as it could extend the northern boundaries that the species is able to be grown in. To deepen our understanding of the molecular basis of freezing tolerance in <italic>Z. japonica</italic>, a transcriptomic approach was utilized to identify genes involved in cold acclimation. 'Meyer', a freeze tolerant cultivar, and 'Victoria', a freeze susceptible cultivar were subjected to cold acclimation and non-cold acclimation treatments to determine the number of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). In response to cold acclimation, a total of 4609 DEGs were up-regulated and 3605 DEGs were down-regulated in 'Meyer', while 3758 DEGs were up-regulated and 3516 DEGs were down-regulated in 'Victoria'. GO and KEGG enrichment analysis showed several diverse pathways and biological processes, including photosynthesis, transmembrane transport, and plant hormone signal transduction. Integrating these information with previous studies on proteomics and QTL mapping, several candidate genes were identified to be associated with cold acclimation and freezing tolerance across different studies, such as LEA, CIPK, POD, HSF, HSP, MPK, PSII and multiple transcription factors. The candidate genes identified in this study showed great value in potentially being a target for future selection efforts for freeze-tolerant <italic>Z. japonica</italic>.