Transcriptome and DNA methylome analyses provide insight into the heterosis in flag leaf of inter-subspecific hybrid rice

Key message Flag leaf heterosis of inter-subspecific hybrid rice is suggested to be related to leaf area, gene expression pattern and allele-specific expression, putatively related to DNA methylation differences between the hybrid and its parents. Inter-subspecific hybrid rice combinations of indica x japonica have great potential to broaden genetic diversity and enhance the heterosis. The genetic and epigenetic molecular mechanism of its heterosis is not completely understood. Here, the dissection of gene expression and epigenetic regulation of an elite inter-subspecific hybrid rice were reported. In the hybrid, plant height, flag leaf area and Pn showed significant heterosis at the heading stage. Chloroplast-related differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 530 allele-specific expression genes in hybrid were identified. Analysis of the genome-wide distribution of DNA methylation (5-methylcytosine, 5mC) and its association with transcription showed that there were variant DNA methylation maps and that the regulation of gene expression levels was negatively regulated by DNA methylation in the inter-subspecific hybrid rice. Differentially methylated DEGs were significantly enriched in photosynthetic functions. Moreover, distinct 5mC sequence contexts and distinct functional elements (promoter/gene body) may have different influences on heterosis related genes. The data identified heterosis related molecular mechanisms in inter-subspecific hybrid rice and suggested that epigenetic changes could extensively influence the flag leaf gene expression and heterosis.