Sweetpotato, <i>Ipomoea batatas</i> (L.) Lam., is an important and widely grown crop, yet its production is affected severely by biotic and abiotic stresses. The nucleotide binding site (NBS)-encoding genes have been shown to improve stress tolerance in several plant species. However, the characterization of NBS-encoding genes in sweetpotato is not well-documented to date. In this study, a comprehensive analysis of NBS-encoding genes has been conducted on this species by using bioinformatics and molecular biology methods. A total of 315 NBS-encoding genes were identified, and 260 of them contained all essential conserved domains while 55 genes were truncated. Based on domain architectures, the 260 NBS-encoding genes were grouped into 6 distinct categories. Phylogenetic analysis grouped these genes into 3 classes: TIR, CC (I), and CC (II). Chromosome location analysis revealed that the distribution of NBS-encoding genes in chromosomes was uneven, with a number ranging from 1 to 34. Multiple stress-related regulatory elements were detected in the promoters, and the NBS-encoding genes’ expression profiles under biotic and abiotic stresses were obtained. According to the bioinformatics analysis, 9 genes were selected for RT-qPCR analysis. The results revealed that <i>IbNBS75</i>, <i>IbNBS219</i>, and <i>IbNBS256</i> respond to stem nematode infection; <i>IbNBS240</i>, <i>IbNBS90</i>, and <i>IbNBS80</i> respond to cold stress, while <i>IbNBS208</i>, <i>IbNBS71</i>, and <i>IbNBS159</i> respond to 30% PEG treatment. We hope these results will provide new insights into the evolution of NBS-encoding genes in the sweetpotato genome and contribute to the molecular breeding of sweetpotato in the future.
Molecular characterization of lipoxygenase genes and their expression analysis against biotic and abiotic stresses in Panax ginseng
