Identification and characterization of NAC genes in response to abiotic stress conditions in Picea wilsonii using transcriptome sequencing

Abstract Picea wilsonii is widely used for a forestation and landscaping in China. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying abiotic stress tolerance in this species remain elusive. In this study, we examined the transcriptomic changes induced by drought and salt stress in 8-week-old seedlings of P. wilsonii via RNA-Seq analysis; seedlings grown under normal conditions (without abiotic stress) served as a control. Approximately 36.26？Gb of transcriptome data were obtained from the three treatments. A total of 4171 (2579 up-regulated and 1732 down-regulated) and 3438 (1592 up-regulated and 1706 down-regulated) differentially expressed genes were identified under drought and salt treatments, respectively. Both RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR analyses showed that the expression of PwNAC genes, including PwNAC11, 24, 36, 38, 45, 47, 51 and 52, was greatly induced not only by salt stress but also by drought treatment, suggesting that these genes are involved in both salt and drought stress resistance in P. wilsonii. This is the first report of the transcriptome analysis of P. wilsonii. Our data will serve as a valuable genomic resource for the further characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying abiotic stress tolerance in P. wilsonii