Integrated transcriptome and proteome analyses provide insight into abiotic stress crosstalks in bermudagrass

Bermudagrass is a widely used warm-season turfgrass species with superior stress tolerance. Due to limited genome information, detailed stress response mechanisms of bermudagrass were not extensively characterized. In this study, we compared transcriptomic and proteomic level changes of bermudagrass after treatments with drought, salt and submergence. The results showed that 31.9–61.4% unigenes were commonly changed by drought, salt and submergence. GO terms including electron transport or energy pathways, response to abiotic or biotic stimulus and response to stress were enriched by stress treatments using both RNA seq and i-TRAQ. Pathways including photosynthesis, amino acid metabolism, redox, N-metabolism, and glycolysis were also overrepresented after drought, salt and submergence treatments using both strategies. A great portion of unigenes involved in ABA pathway were activated whereas those related to IAA pathway were repressed. ABA responsive bZIP type TF CdABF2 was induced by drought and salt. Ectopic overexpression of CdABF2 increased ABA sensitivity and improved tolerance to osmotic and salt stress at germination stage in Arabidopsis. These results provided evidence to understand abiotic stress regulatory mechanisms and stress crosstalk in bermudagrass. • About 32–62% unigenes were commonly changed by drought, salt and submergence. • RNA seq and i-TRAQ data were moderately or poorly correlated. • ABA pathway unigenes were activated whereas those in IAA pathway were repressed. • CdABF2 was induced by drought and salt and altered ABA sensitivity during germination.