CO₂ levels are known to have an impact on plant development and physiology. In the current study, we have investigated the effect of elevated CO₂ on flowering and its regulation through miRNA mediated sugar signaling. We also unraveled small RNA transcriptome of pigeonpea under ambient and elevated CO₂ conditions and predicted the targets for crucial miRNAs through computational methods. The results have shown that the delayed flowering in pigeonpea under elevated CO₂ was due to an imbalance in C:N stoichiometry and differential expression pattern of aging pathway genes, including SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE. Furthermore, qRT PCR analysis has revealed the role of miR156 and miR172 in mediating trehalose-6-phosphate dependent flowering regulation. The current study is crucial in understanding the responses of flowering patterns in a legume crop to elevated CO₂ which showed a significant impact on its final yields. Also, these findings are crucial in devising effective crop improvement strategies for developing climate resilient crops, including pigeonpea.

摘要

已知CO ₂水平对植物发育和生理有影响。在当前的研究中，我们研究了 CO ₂升高对开花的影响及其通过 miRNA 介导的糖信号传导的调节。我们还解开了常温和升高 CO ₂条件下木豆的小 RNA 转录组，并通过计算方法预测了关键 miRNA 的靶标。结果表明，高CO ₂条件下木豆开花延迟是由于C:N化学计量失衡和衰老途径基因（包括SQUAMOSA PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE）的差异表达模式所致。此外，qRT PCR 分析揭示了 miR156 和 miR172 在介导海藻糖-6-磷酸依赖性开花调节中的作用。当前的研究对于了解豆科作物开花模式对 CO ₂升高的反应至关重要，这对其最终产量产生了重大影响。此外，这些发现对于制定有效的作物改良策略以开发气候适应作物（包括木豆）至关重要。