PSDX: A Comprehensive Multi-Omics Association Database of Populus trichocarpa With a Focus on the Secondary Growth in Response to Stresses

Populus trichocarpa (P trichocarpa) is a model tree for the investigation of wood formation. In recent years, researchers have generated a large number of high-throughput sequencing data in P trichocarpa. However, no comprehensive database that provides multi-omics associations for the investigation of secondary growth in response to diverse stresses has been reported. Therefore, we developed a public repository that presents comprehensive measurements of gene expression and post-transcriptional regulation by integrating 144 RNA-Seq, 33 ChIP-seq, and six single-molecule real-time (SMRT) isoform sequencing (Iso-seq) libraries prepared from tissues subjected to different stresses. All the samples from different studies were analyzed to obtain gene expression, co-expression network, and differentially expressed genes (DEG) using unified parameters, which allowed comparison of results from different studies and treatments. In addition to gene expression, we also identified and deposited pre-processed data about alternative splicing (AS), alternative polyadenylation (APA) and alternative transcription initiation (ATI). The post-transcriptional regulation, differential expression, and co-expression network datasets were integrated into a new P trichocarpa Stem Differentiating Xylem (PSDX) database (http://forestry.fafu.edu.cn/db/SDX), which further highlights gene families of RNA-binding proteins and stressrelated genes. The PSDX also provides tools for data query, visualization, a genome browser, and the BLAST option for sequence-based query. Much of the data is also available for bulk download. The availability of PSDX contributes to the research related to the secondary growth in response to stresses in P trichocarpa, which will provide new insights that can be useful for the improvement of stress tolerance in woody plants.

Automated summary

Researchers have developed a public database containing comprehensive measurements of gene expression and post-transcriptional regulation to study the response of secondary growth in Populus trichocarpa to different stresses. The database also includes data on alternative splicing, alternative polyadenylation, and alternative transcription initiation. The PSDX database provides tools for data query, visualization, a genome browser, and BLAST option, facilitating the study of genes related to secondary growth and stress response in Populus trichocarpa.