Colonial bentgrass transcript‐expression differences compared with creeping bentgrass in response to water‐deficit stress

Abstract

Natural stands of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera) are often found in wetland areas and exhibit very poor tolerance to dry soils. Colonial bentgrass (A. capillaris) is frequently found in drier habitats and has the ability to go dormant and recover quickly under water‐deficit stress. Hybridization between creeping and colonial bentgrass is possible and a better understanding of gene regulation under water‐deficit conditions of the two species could improve breeding strategies for water deficit–tolerant bentgrasses. A greenhouse dry‐down study was conducted using two creeping bentgrass clones with differing water use profiles and one colonial bentgrass clone. The genotypes were exposed to water‐deficit stress and well‐watered control genotypes were included. Gravimetric evapotranspiration was determined, and control plants watered at 80% ET and deficit irrigation plants watered at 50% ET. Water use rates were similar among all plants with the creeping bentgrass genotypes exhibiting stress earlier and recovering more slowly than the colonial bentgrass. At the conclusion of the experiment, ribonucleic acid sequencing analysis was conducted and there were 975 differentially‐expressed colonial bentgrass transcripts in response to water‐deficit stress compared with an average 98 differentially‐expressed creeping bentgrass transcripts. Among the colonial bentgrass upregulated transcripts in response to water‐deficit stress were eight transcription factors previously shown to be involved in deficit water stress response and several transposon‐related transcripts. This study characterized several transcripts with unique expression changes in colonial bentgrass compared with creeping bentgrass, which may explain why colonial bentgrass is more drought tolerant than creeping bentgrass.

Pertinent Water-Saving Management Strategies for Sustainable Turfgrass in the Desert U.S. Southwest

“…Transgenic plants overexpressing transcription factors, ion transport channels, osmoprotectants, stress-signaling genes, and maintaining osmotic balance were found to impart stress tolerance [54]. RNA-seq based transcriptome analysis in different turfgrass species revealed that genes underlying ROS, transcription factors, hormones, carbohydrate metabolisms, and protein phosphorylation and ubiquitination, were largely enriched in stressed plants [55,56]. Therefore, drought stress tolerance in turfgrass can be enriched through genetic manipulation for these genes.…”

Genetic diversity of colonial bentgrass Agrostis capillaris based on simple sequence repeat markers and high‐resolution melt analysis with haplotype scoring

“…This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA. (Amundsen et al, 2020). Creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L. 2n = 4x = 28) is a fine textured grass that can tolerate extremely low mowing heights and is widely utilized on golf courses where cool-season grasses are adapted (Warnke, 2003).…”

“…Colonial bentgrass ( Agrostis capillaris L. 2 n = 4 x = 28) is a turfgrass species that can be established on grass tennis courts, golf course fairways, and used for erosion control (Ruemmele, 2003). In addition, colonial bentgrasses exhibit considerably better resistance to the important fungal disease dollar spot caused by several species in the new genus Clarireedia (Salgado‐Salazar et al., 2018) and have shown improved water‐deficit stress tolerance (Amundsen et al., 2020). Creeping bentgrass ( Agrostis stolonifera L. 2 n = 4 x = 28) is a fine textured grass that can tolerate extremely low mowing heights and is widely utilized on golf courses where cool‐season grasses are adapted (Warnke, 2003).…”