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<p>Cassava (<i>Manihot esculenta</i> Crantz) is a crucial crop in tropical and subtropical regions, providing starchy roots for food, starch, bioethanol, and biopolymers. However, its cultivation is hindered by disease susceptibility, post-harvest spoilage, and low nutrient content. The scarcity of female flowers directly limits seed set rates in natural and hybrid breeding conditions, hindering cassava improvement programs. Thus, enhancing the number of female flowers through sex expression regulation is a promising strategy to boost seed set rates and breeding efficiency. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms by which cytokinin promotes female flower formation in cassava, focusing on ncRNA_mRNA regulatory networks. Transcriptome analysis of cytokinin-treated inflorescence buds revealed 2749 differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs, 95 DElncRNAs, 46 DEcircRNAs, and 6 DEmiRNAs. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that the lncRNA network may modulate cytokinin signaling via cis-acting (22 interactions) and trans-acting (2244 pairs) mechanisms. Analysis of associated mRNAs suggested potential lncRNAs involvement in regulating flower sex expression by engaging in secondary metabolite synthesis and hormone homeostasis. DEcircRNAs exhibited strong correlations with their source mRNAs, indicating circRNA-mediated feedback regulation. Construction of a miRNA-centered network highlighted interactions involving hormone signaling, epigenetic reprogramming, and cellular logistics. Furthermore, competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks, including lncRNA-<i>miR6445</i>-mRNAs and circRNA-<i>miR398b</i>-mRNAs, were identified. This research provides insights into the potential roles of ncRNAs in cytokinin-mediated female flower formation in cassava, advancing hypotheses regarding plant sex differentiation and reproductive biology in this important economically&#xa0;crop.</p>

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Comprehensive Transcriptomics Reveals Putative Cytokinin-Triggered Non-coding RNA Networks Modulating Female Flower Formation in Cassava

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年10月23日

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  • Bang-Zhen Pan,
  • Zeng-Fu Xu

摘要

Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) is a crucial crop in tropical and subtropical regions, providing starchy roots for food, starch, bioethanol, and biopolymers. However, its cultivation is hindered by disease susceptibility, post-harvest spoilage, and low nutrient content. The scarcity of female flowers directly limits seed set rates in natural and hybrid breeding conditions, hindering cassava improvement programs. Thus, enhancing the number of female flowers through sex expression regulation is a promising strategy to boost seed set rates and breeding efficiency. This study investigated the molecular mechanisms by which cytokinin promotes female flower formation in cassava, focusing on ncRNA_mRNA regulatory networks. Transcriptome analysis of cytokinin-treated inflorescence buds revealed 2749 differentially expressed (DE) mRNAs, 95 DElncRNAs, 46 DEcircRNAs, and 6 DEmiRNAs. Bioinformatic analysis suggested that the lncRNA network may modulate cytokinin signaling via cis-acting (22 interactions) and trans-acting (2244 pairs) mechanisms. Analysis of associated mRNAs suggested potential lncRNAs involvement in regulating flower sex expression by engaging in secondary metabolite synthesis and hormone homeostasis. DEcircRNAs exhibited strong correlations with their source mRNAs, indicating circRNA-mediated feedback regulation. Construction of a miRNA-centered network highlighted interactions involving hormone signaling, epigenetic reprogramming, and cellular logistics. Furthermore, competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) networks, including lncRNA-miR6445-mRNAs and circRNA-miR398b-mRNAs, were identified. This research provides insights into the potential roles of ncRNAs in cytokinin-mediated female flower formation in cassava, advancing hypotheses regarding plant sex differentiation and reproductive biology in this important economically crop.