Transcriptome Analysis of the Root of Sonchus asper under Cadmium and Lead Stress in the Intercropping System with RNA-Seq

Purpose In order to explore the cadmium and lead absorption, transportation and binding mechanisms by Sonchus asper root, for the further analysis of the differential expression genes and discovering the heavy metal tolerance related genes and heavy metal transported related gene of the heavy metal hyperaccumulators in the transcriptome, this study was conducted.

Method RNA-Seq was employed to analyze the transcriptional profiles of root tissue in intercopping system.

Result After Illumina HiSeq^TM 2000 transcriptome sequencing and De novo assembling, we got 19.23 GB filtered raw data and 65 357 Unigenes; After analyzing the significantly expressed genes, we got 52 up-regulated and 116 down-regulated genes. 44 059 Unigenes were severally matched to the Nr, Swiss-Prot and KGO and KEGG databases by blasting.

Conclusion Intercropping significantly enhanced biomass, Cd and Pb contents, and heavy metal transfer coefficient of S. asper. Gene ontology enrichment analysis showed that intercropping made the S. asper taking significant effect on genes expression of up taking, transporting, binding Cd and Pb, and binding and up taking function were enhanced, and DEGs were classified into biological process, cellular component and molecular function, respectively. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis revealed that the DEGs were mainly involved in Biotin metabolism, oxidative phosphorylation and Regulation of autophagy pathways.