Identification of the abiotic stress-related transcription in little Neptune grass Cymodocea nodosa with RNA-seq.

Seagrasses exhibit vital ecological roles in the marine environment. Nevertheless, the genomic resources available for seagrasses are still scarce. In the present study, the transcriptome of Cymodocea nodosa was sequenced with a view to study the molecular mechanisms underlying abiotic stress responses. The sequenced transcriptome for the species was near-complete and a high percentage of the transcripts was computationally annotated. An experimental simulation of marine plant exposure to extreme temperature (34°C), salinity (50psu) and their combination was conducted. A dynamic transcriptome 24h response (short-term) from stress initialization was recorded. The most noteworthy alteration in gene expression was observed in heat-stressed plants. Transcripts associated with development, photosynthesis, osmotic balance and stress-response were differentially expressed, under the set experimental conditions. Results indicate a potential negative interaction of heat and osmotic stress on seagrasses transcriptome.