文献类型：期刊文献

英文题名：Time-series transcriptome analysis of Populus roots reveals a key expression network involved in the response to nitrate stress

作者：Zhou, Minglei[1,2] Cao, Dongliang[1,3] Shi, Wen-Guang[1] Deng, Shu-Rong[1] Ma, Wen-Xu[1] Tian, Di[2] Zhou, Jing[1]

第一作者：Zhou, Minglei

通信作者：Zhou, J[1]

机构：[1]Chinese Acad Forestry, Res Inst Forestry, State Key Lab Tree Genet & Breeding, Beijing 100091, Peoples R China;[2]Beijing Forestry Univ, State Key Lab Efficient Prod Forest Resources, Beijing 100083, Peoples R China;[3]Beijing Forestry Univ, Coll Biol Sci & Technol, State Key Lab Tree Genet & Breeding, Beijing 100083, Peoples R China

年份：2025

卷号：229

外文期刊名：PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY

收录：;Scopus(收录号：2-s2.0-105020442535);WOS:【SCI-EXPANDED(收录号:WOS:001571423900004)】；

基金：This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. 32471819 and 32171739), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Nonprofit Research Institution of CAF (grant no. CAFYBB2024MA011) and the National Key R&D Program of China (grant no. 2022YFD2201600).

语种：英文

外文关键词：Nitrate; Populus '84 K'; Time-ordered transcriptome; WGCNA; TO-GCN

摘要：As a critical determinant of nitrogen acquisition efficiency in perennial woody species, root systems profoundly influences productivity in plantation forestry. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying root responses to nitrate in forest trees, we employed RNA-seq technology, time-ordered gene coexpression networks (TO-GCNs), and weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) in Populus '84 K'. Physiological profiling revealed that nitrate stress significantly increased root elongation in Populus, concurrently inducing a series of physiological responses: the net NO3- influx peaked at 6 h, nitrate reductase (NR) activity peaked at 12 h, and tissue nitrate/ammonium concentrations peaked at 36 h post-treatment. Temporal stratification of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) revealed eight hierarchical regulatory tiers through TO-GCNs. Integrated WGCNA revealed that bHLH, MYB and NAC transcription factor (TF)-mediated flavonoid biosynthesis was inhibited in the early stress phase. Concurrently, nitrogen metabolic processes driven by core regulators (ERFs, LBDs, and Nin-likes) were activated, among which the ERF2B-NRT2.1C module played a key role in the response of poplar roots to nitrate treatment. Subsequently, the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) pathway and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, orchestrated by ERF64 A/B, were activated. WRKY-regulated ethylene signalling genes were significant upregulated after 72 h of nitrate treatment. This study provides a systematic framework for understanding plant nitrate response mechanisms and reveals potential regulatory hierarchies among TFs, providing novel insights for the precision breeding of nitrogen-use-efficient Populus cultivars through the targeted manipulation of core regulatory modules.