Mechanism Analysis of Transcription Factor OsERF110 Regulating Rice Pollen Response to Heavy Ion Irradiation

It is of great significance to analyze the molecular mechanism of rice response to heavy ion irradiation and to mine its key response genes for food security. In this study, the regression equation for the dose survival rate was constructed using heavy ion irradiation on rice pollen. Through an immunofluorescence experiment, it was found that DSBs induced by irradiation could be repaired quickly, but the repair of complex damage required more time. RNA-seq of irradiated pollen showed that the gene expression patterns at different time points were significantly different. A total of 5556 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were screened out, and the number of DEGs decreased with time. DEGs were mainly involved in stress response, protein folding, DNA repair, and other damage response processes at 0-1 h. At 6 h, the cells turned to normal metabolism functions, such as organic synthesis and protein activity. Combined with weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and trend analysis, the key transcription factor OsERF110 was identified in response to heavy ion irradiation, which acts on the nucleus and cell membrane. A total of 45,680 OsERF110 binding peaks were identified by DNA affinity purification sequencing (DAP-seq) in the whole genome. When this method was combined with RNA sequencing (RNA-seq), 62 OsERF110 target genes were further screened. These target genes were involved in DNA repair, stress response, redox, metabolic regulation, and other processes, forming the OsERF110 mediated radiation response regulatory network. The results of this study provide a new target for rice mutation breeding and lay a theoretical foundation for radiation biology research.