Identification of small open reading frames (sORFs) associated with heat tolerance in nitrogen-fixing root nodules of Phaseolus vulgaris wild-type and cv BAT93

Abstract

Common bean is an important legume crop and a major source of protein for low-income groups around the world. Legumes have the ability to engage symbiotic interactions with nitrogen-fixing soil bacteria. In this study, next-generation sequencing technology was used to perform transcriptome analyses of a yet unexplored group of peptides encoded by small open reading frames (sORFs;<150 codons) in nitrogen-fixing symbiotic nodules of two heat-tolerant genotypes of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L): the cultivar BAT93 and a wild genotype (named P. vulgaris 7) from the south of Mexico. After heat stress, total RNA was isolated and used for transcriptome analysis. Sixty differentially expressed sORFs were identified between control and heat stress treatments. The expression profiles of these sORFs suggest that, regardless the evolutionary closeness between P. vulgaris BAT93 and P. vulgaris 7, each genotype has independently adapted their molecular signaling pathways to survive heat stress. The dataset developed may provide a useful resource for future genetic and genomic studies in these species.