PcTGD, a highly expressed gene in stem, is related to water stress in reed (Phragmites communis Trin.)

To compare differential gene expression among three ecotypes of reed (Phragmites communis Trin.), dune reed (DR), heavy-salt meadow reed (HSR) and light-salt meadow reed (LSR), mRNA transcripts were displayed by cDNA-AFLP (amplified fragment length polymorphisms). The result revealed that a relatively small number of genes are likely involved in adaptations of DR and HSR to stresses. A full-length cDNA encoding dTDP-D-glucose dehydratase gene (PcTGD) was subsequently cloned from DR. Northern blot analysis showed that it is highly expressed in stem as well as rhizoma of the three ecotypes. However, its expression in DR stem was much higher than that of the other two ecotypes, After the removal of water stress, the expression of PcTGD was significantly reduced, suggesting that it possibly plays a role in adaptation of DR to water stress through an osmotic regulation mechanism.