Transcriptome Analysis Provides New Insights into Bulbil Formation in Bistorta vivipara

Bistorta vivipara is a facultative reproductive plant capable of asexual reproduction through underground rhizomes and bulbils, as well as sexual reproduction via seeds. The phenomenon of vegetative organ vivipary is a complex biological process regulated by a network of genes. However, the developmental mechanism regulating bulbil vivipary in B. vivipara remains largely unexplored. This study investigated different developmental stages of B. vivipara using RNA sequencing and transcriptome analysis. Approximately 438 million high-quality reads were generated, with over 61.65% of the data mapped to the de novo transcriptome sequence. A total of 154,813 reads were matched in at least one public database, and 49,731 genes were differentially expressed across developmental stages. Functional analysis revealed significant enrichment of these genes in phenylpropanoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, protein processing, starch and sucrose metabolism, and plant-pathogen interaction. Ninety-four genes involved in phytohormones, plant pigments, enzymes, and transcription factors were identified as potential candidates for inducing vegetative organ vivipary. These differentially expressed genes (DEGs), detected through comparative transcriptome analysis, may serve as candidate genes for bulbil vivipary in B. vivipara, establishing a foundation for future studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying vegetative organ vivipary.