Transcriptomic analysis of cadmium stressed Tamarix hispida revealed novel transcripts and the importance of ABA network

Abstract Aim Cadmium (Cd) pollution is widely detected in soil and has been recognized as a major environmental problem. Tamarix hispida is a woody halophyte, which can form natural forest on desert and the soil with 0.5–1% salt content, making it an ideal plant for research investigating the effects of various stresses on plants. However, no systematic study has investigated the molecular mechanism of Cd tolerance in T. hispida.Methods In this study, the RNA-seq technique was applied to analyze the transcriptomic changes in T. hispida treated with 150 µmol L− 1 CdCl2 for 24, 48 and 72 h compared with control.Results In total, 72764 unigenes exhibited similar sequences in the NR database, while 41528 unigenes (36.3% of all the unigenes) did not exhibit similar sequences, which may be new transcripts. In addition, 6778, 8282 and 8601 DEGs were detected at 24, 48 and 72 h, respectively. Functional annotation analysis indicated that many genes may be involved in several aspects of the Cd stress response, including ion bonding, signal transduction, stress sensing, hormone responses and ROS metabolism. A ThUGT gene from the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway can enhance the Cd resistance ability of T. hispida by regulating the production of reactive oxygen species under Cd stress and inhibiting T. hispida absorption of Cd.Conclusion The new transcriptome resources and data that we present in this study for T. hispida may substantially facilitate molecular studies of the mechanisms governing Cd resistance.