Transcriptomics in deciphering stress tolerance in plants

Abstract

Abiotic stress responses in plants are the consecutive effects of stress perception, its transduction of signal, induction to gene expression and resultant manifestation of physiological activities. Therefore, gene expression with up- and downregulation is the key to monitor and decipher the stress tolerance in plants. In the analysis of regulatory sequence with the modern state of the art, selecting plant genotypes or trait transfer to other species has been in progress. Transgenic approaches have been successful in manipulating any such trait for responses under stress. The global gene expression through transcriptome studies is another alternative tool in understanding of metabolic reactions supporting stress tolerance. The evaluation of gene transfer and its achievement for stress tolerance is no doubt a time-consuming phenomenon. A single gene transfer through reliable vector is not approach to coordinate the stress responses. However, regulatory binding proteins, which are commonly induced by a number of stressors, are more used to be cloned. So, transcription factors could co-ordinate major stress-responsive genes and their converging tendencies in stress tolerance. Therefore, the agronomically important traits for superior crop genotypes would be more lenient in promoter regulation technology for stress expression. In this review, the combination of regulatory mechanism through transcriptomics and selection with molecular marker would be described in specific manner in the realization of stress-resistant genotypes. In addition, the lineage to roles of molecular markers in selection pressure of crops has also been described to support the breeding programme.