Pearl millet is a widely cultivated grain and forage crop in areas frequented with hot and dry weather, and high temperature. Being cultivated in arid and semi-arid regions, the crop often encounters intermittent water stress either at early stages of development or flowering stage or both. However, its asynchronous tillering behavior and fast growth rate helps recovering from drought stress at vegetative stages while there is no such reprieve under terminal stress (flowering through grain filling). At present, the molecular basis of terminal drought tolerance of certain pearl millet genotypes remains elusive. In this study, a comparative transcriptome analysis has been performed at both vegetative and flowering stages of a terminal drought tolerant genotype, PRLT2/89-33, subjected to drought stress. The gene expression profiling analysis showed that PRLT2/89-33 has an inherent ability to sense drought at both developmental stages. Gene Ontology (GO) and MapMan pathway analyses underlined that flavanoid pathway, lignin biosynthesis, phenyl propanoid pathway, pigment biosynthesis, and other secondary metabolite pathways were enriched in control and drought stressed PRLT2/89-33 at flowering stage than at the vegetative stage. To our knowledge, this is the first report of comparative transcriptome analysis under drought stress at two different developmental stages which can facilitate fastidious discovery of drought tolerant genes leading to improved yield in pearl millet and other related crops.

中文翻译：

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比较转录组分析揭示了珍珠小米终端干旱耐受性的基因和途径。

珍珠粟是在干旱，干燥，高温的地区广泛种植的谷物和饲料作物。由于在干旱和半干旱地区种植，该作物在发育的早期或开花期或两者兼有时经常遇到间歇性的水分胁迫。但是，它的异步分behavior行为和快速的生长速度有助于从营养阶段的干旱胁迫中恢复过来，而在终端胁迫下（通过灌浆开花）则没有这种缓解。目前，某些珍珠粟基因型的最终耐旱性的分子基础仍然难以捉摸。在这项研究中，已经在遭受干旱胁迫的终端耐旱基因型PRLT2 / 89-33的营养期和开花期进行了比较转录组分析。基因表达谱分析表明，PRLT2 / 89-33在两个发育阶段都具有感知干旱的固有能力。基因本体论（GO）和MapMan途径分析强调，在开花期比在营养阶段，控制和干旱胁迫下PRLT2 / 89-33富集了黄酮类途径，木质素生物合成，苯基丙烷类激素途径，色素生物合成以及其他次要代谢产物途径。据我们所知，这是在两个不同发育阶段干旱胁迫下进行比较转录组分析的第一份报告，这可以促进对耐旱基因的严格发现，从而提高珍珠粟和其他相关农作物的产量。基因本体论（GO）和MapMan途径分析强调，在开花期比在营养阶段，控制和干旱胁迫下PRLT2 / 89-33富集了黄酮类途径，木质素生物合成，苯基丙烷类激素途径，色素生物合成以及其他次要代谢产物途径。据我们所知，这是在两个不同发育阶段干旱胁迫下进行比较转录组分析的第一份报告，这可以促进对耐旱基因的严格发现，从而提高珍珠粟和其他相关农作物的产量。基因本体论（GO）和MapMan途径分析强调，在开花期比在营养阶段，控制和干旱胁迫下PRLT2 / 89-33富集了黄酮类途径，木质素生物合成，苯基丙烷类激素途径，色素生物合成以及其他次要代谢产物途径。据我们所知，这是在两个不同发育阶段干旱胁迫下进行比较转录组分析的第一份报告，这可以促进对耐旱基因的严格发现，从而提高珍珠粟和其他相关农作物的产量。