When rice gets the chills: comparative transcriptome profiling at germination shows WRKY transcription factor responses

Abstract Rice is vital for food security. Due to its tropical origin, rice suffers from cold temperatures that affect its entire life cycle. Key genes have been identified involved in cold tolerance. WRKYs are generally downstream of the MAPK cascade and can act together with VQ proteins to regulate stress‐responsive genes. Chilling treatment was applied at germination to two rice genotypes (tolerant and sensitive). Shoots at S3 stage were collected for RNA‐seq to identify OsWRKY , OsMAPKs and OsVQs expression. Relationships among MAPKs, WRKYs and VQs were predicted through correlation analysis. OsWRKY transcriptional regulation was predicted by in silico analysis of cis ‐regulatory elements. A total of 39 OsWRKY s were differentially expressed. OsWRKY21 , OsWRK24 and OsWRKY69 are potential positive regulators, while OsWRKY10 , OsWRK47, OsWRKY62, OsWRKY72 and OsWRKY77 are potential negative regulators, of chilling tolerance. 12 OsMAPKs were differentially expressed. OsMAPKs were downregulated and negatively correlated with the upregulated OsWRKYs in the tolerant genotype. 19 OsVQs were differentially expressed, three and six OsVQs were positively correlated with OsWRKYs in the tolerant and sensitive genotypes, respectively. Seven differentially expressed OsWRKYs have cold‐responsive elements in their promoters and five upregulated OsWRKYs in the tolerant genotype contained the W‐box motif. Chilling causes changes in OsWRKY , OsMAPK and OsVQ gene expression at germination. OsWRKYs may not act downstream of the MAPK cascade to coordinate chilling tolerance, but OsWRKYs may act with VQs to regulate chilling tolerance. Candidate OsWRKYs are correlated and have a W‐box in the promoter, suggesting an auto‐regulation mechanism.