Transcriptome Profile Analysis of Maize Seedlings in Response to High-salinity, Drought and Cold Stresses by Deep Sequencing

To identify the crosstalk between gene expression and metabolism in response to cold, drought and salt stresses, digital gene expression (DGE) analysis was performed on maize ( Zea mays L.) seedlings subjected to these stresses. A total of 103,953 (70.79 %), 111,130 (68.62 %), 94,435 (69.33 %) and 94,577 (68.92 %) tags were matched to reference genes. The most differentially regulated tags, with a log2 ratio ≥1 or ≤−1 ( P < 0.01 and FDR ≤0.001), were further analysed. Many genes and biological pathways were affected by multiple abiotic stresses. In particular, expression changes for the gibberellin (GA) metabolic genes could improve understanding of the molecular basis of the response of the GA pathway to stress conditions. In addition, a large dataset of tag-mapped transcripts was obtained that provide a strong basis for future research on the response to abiotic stress in maize. And a new list of candidate targets for functional studies on genes involved in cold, drought and salt stresses has been generated. In this study, we revealed complex changes at the transcriptional level in maize seedlings under different abiotic stresses. Such studies could lead to a better understanding of the genetic basis of the maize response to different environmental stimuli and would be essential for improving the abiotic stress tolerance of maize.