scholarly journals The BAHD Gene Family in Cacao (Theobroma cacao, Malvaceae): Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abdullah ◽  
Sahar Faraji ◽  
Parviz Heidari ◽  
Péter Poczai

The benzyl alcohol O-acetyl transferase, anthocyanin O-hydroxycinnamoyl transferase, N-hydroxycinnamoyl anthranilate benzoyl transferase, and deacetylvindoline 4-O-acetyltransferase (BAHD) enzymes play a critical role in regulating plant metabolites and affecting cell stability. In the present study, members of the BAHD gene family were recognized in the genome of Theobroma cacao and characterized using various bioinformatics tools. We found 27 non-redundant putative tcBAHD genes in cacao for the first time. Our findings indicate that tcBAHD genes are diverse based on sequence structure, physiochemical properties, and function. When analyzed with BAHDs of Gossypium raimondii and Corchorus capsularis clustered into four main groups. According to phylogenetic analysis, BAHD genes probably evolved drastically after their divergence. The divergence time of duplication events with purifying selection pressure was predicted to range from 1.82 to 15.50 MYA. Pocket analysis revealed that serine amino acid is more common in the binding site than other residuals, reflecting its key role in regulating the activity of tcBAHDs. Furthermore, cis-acting elements related to the responsiveness of stress and hormone, particularly ABA and MeJA, were frequently observed in the promoter region of tcBAHD genes. RNA-seq analysis further illustrated that tcBAHD13 and tcBAHD26 are involved in response to Phytophthora megakarya fungi. In conclusion, it is likely that evolutionary processes, such as duplication events, have caused high diversity in the structure and function of tcBAHD genes.

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 1651
Author(s):  
Parviz Heidari ◽  
Abdullah ◽  
Sahar Faraji ◽  
Peter Poczai

Magnesium (Mg) is an element involved in various key cellular processes in plants. Mg transporter (MGT) genes play an important role in magnesium distribution and ionic balance maintenance. Here, MGT family members were identified and characterized in three species of the plant family Malvaceae, Theobroma cacao, Corchorus capsularis, and Gossypium hirsutum, to improve our understanding of their structure, regulatory systems, functions, and possible interactions. We identified 18, 41, and 16 putative non-redundant MGT genes from the genome of T. cacao, G. hirsutum, and C. capsularis, respectively, which clustered into three groups the maximum likelihood tree. Several segmental/tandem duplication events were determined between MGT genes. MGTs appear to have evolved slowly under a purifying selection. Analysis of gene promoter regions showed that MGTs have a high potential to respond to biotic/abiotic stresses and hormones. The expression patterns of MGT genes revealed a possible role in response to P. megakarya fungi in T. cacao, whereas MGT genes showed differential expression in various tissues and response to several abiotic stresses, including cold, salt, drought, and heat stress in G. hirsutum. The co-expression network of MGTs indicated that genes involved in auxin-responsive lipid metabolism, cell wall organization, and photoprotection can interact with MGTs.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomin Feng ◽  
Yongjun Wang ◽  
Nannan Zhang ◽  
Zilin Wu ◽  
Qiaoying Zeng ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Plant genomes contain a large number of HAK/KUP/KT transporters, which play important roles in potassium uptake and translocation, osmotic potential regulation, salt tolerance, root morphogenesis and plant development. Potassium deficiency in the soil of a sugarcane planting area is serious. However, the HAK/KUP/KT gene family remains to be characterized in sugarcane (Saccharum). Results: In this study, 30 HAK/KUP/KT genes were identified in Saccharum spontaneum. Phylogenetics, duplication events, gene structures and expression patterns were analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis of the HAK/KUP/KT genes from 15 representative plants showed that this gene family is divided into four groups (clades I-IV). Both ancient whole-genome duplication (WGD) and recent gene duplication contributed to the expansion of the HAK/KUP/KT gene family. Nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution ratio (Ka/Ks) analysis showed that purifying selection was the main force driving the evolution of HAK/KUP/KT genes. The divergence time of the HAK/KUP/KT gene family was estimated to range from 134.8 to 233.7 Mya based on Ks analysis, suggesting that it is an ancient gene family in plants. Gene structure analysis showed that the HAK/KUP/KT genes were accompanied by intron gain/loss in the process of evolution. RNA-seq data analysis demonstrated that the HAK/KUP/KT genes from clades II and III were mainly constitutively expressed in various tissues, while most genes from clades I and IV had no or very low expression in the tested tissues at different developmental stages. The expression of SsHAK1 and SsHAK21 was upregulated in response to low-K+ stress. Yeast functional complementation analysis revealed that SsHAK1 and SsHAK21 could rescue K+ uptake in a yeast mutant. Conclusions: This study provided insights into the evolutionary history of HAK/KUP/KT genes. HAK7/9/18 were mainly expressed in the upper photosynthetic zone and mature zone of the stem. HAK7/9/18/25 were regulated by sunlight. SsHAK1 and SsHAK21 played important roles in mediating potassium acquisition under limited K+ supply. Our results provide valuable information and key candidate genes for further studies on the function of HAK/KUP/KT genes in Saccharum. Keywords: Saccharum, HAK/KUP/KT, evolution, gene expression, low-K+ stress


2022 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 614
Author(s):  
Weiqi Sun ◽  
Mengdi Li ◽  
Jianbo Wang

Brassica napus and its diploid progenitors (B. rapa and B. oleracea) are suitable for studying the problems associated with polyploidization. As an important anti-stress protein, RCI2 proteins widely exist in various tissues of plants, and are crucial to plant growth, development, and stress response. In this study, the RCI2 gene family was comprehensively identified and analyzed, and 9, 9, and 24 RCI2 genes were identified in B. rapa, B. oleracea, and B. napus, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all of the identified RCI2 genes were divided into two groups, and further divided into three subgroups. Ka/Ks analysis showed that most of the identified RCI2 genes underwent a purifying selection after the duplication events. Moreover, gene structure analysis showed that the structure of RCI2 genes is largely conserved during polyploidization. The promoters of the RCI2 genes in B. napus contained more cis-acting elements, which were mainly involved in plant development and growth, plant hormone response, and stress responses. Thus, B. napus might have potential advantages in some biological aspects. In addition, the changes of RCI2 genes during polyploidization were also discussed from the aspects of gene number, gene structure, gene relative location, and gene expression, which can provide reference for future polyploidization analysis.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (23) ◽  
pp. 12649
Author(s):  
Zhen Peng ◽  
Xuran Jiang ◽  
Zhenzhen Wang ◽  
Xiaoyang Wang ◽  
Hongge Li ◽  
...  

Salinity is a critical abiotic factor that significantly reduces agricultural production. Cotton is an important fiber crop and a pioneer on saline soil, hence genetic architecture that underpins salt tolerance should be thoroughly investigated. The Raf-like kinase B-subfamily (RAF) genes were discovered to regulate the salt stress response in cotton plants. However, understanding the RAFs in cotton, such as Enhanced Disease Resistance 1 and Constitutive Triple Response 1 kinase, remains a mystery. This study obtained 29, 28, 56, and 54 RAF genes from G. arboreum, G. raimondii, G. hirsutum, and G. barbadense, respectively. The RAF gene family described allopolyploidy and hybridization events in allotetraploid cotton evolutionary connections. Ka/Ks analysis advocates that cotton evolution was subjected to an intense purifying selection of the RAF gene family. Interestingly, integrated analysis of synteny and gene collinearity suggested dispersed and segmental duplication events involved in the extension of RAFs in cotton. Transcriptome studies, functional validation, and virus-induced gene silencing on salt treatments revealed that GhRAF42 is engaged in salt tolerance in upland cotton. This research might lead to a better understanding of the role of RAFs in plants and the identification of suitable candidate salt-tolerant genes for cotton breeding.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Jia ◽  
Cunyao Yan ◽  
Jing Zhang ◽  
Yunxia Cheng ◽  
Wenwen Li ◽  
...  

AbstractJAZ is a plant-specific protein family involved in the regulation of plant development, abiotic stresses, and responses to phytohormone treatments. In this study, we carried out a bioinformatics analysis of JAZ genes in turnip by determining the phylogenetic relationship, chromosomal location, gene structure and expression profiles analysis under stresses. The 36 JAZ genes were identified and classified into four subfamilies (ZML, JAZ, PPD and TIFY). The JAZ genes were located on 10 chromosomes. Two gene pairs were involved in tandem duplication events. We identified 44 collinear JAZ gene pairs in the turnip genome. Analysis of the Ka/Ks ratios indicated that the paralogs of the BrrJAZ family principally underwent purifying selection. Expression analysis suggested JAZ genes may be involved in the formation of turnip tuberous root, and they also participated in the response to ABA, SA, MeJA, salt stress and low-temperature stress. The results of this study provided valuable information for further exploration of the JAZ gene family in turnip.


2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 478-490
Author(s):  
Xianliang Li ◽  
Hang Liu ◽  
Zhichang Zhao

The xyloglucan Endotransglucosylase/hydrolase (XTH) genes are proposed to encode enzymes responsible for cleaving and reattaching xyloglucan polymers. Despite prior identification of the XTH gene family in Arabidopsis and rice, the XTH family in upland cotton, a tetraploid plant whose fiber cell is an excellent model for the study of plant cell elongation, is yet uncharacterized. In this study, iron tetroxide based magnetic nanobead (Fe3O4 NPs) was successfully prepared and applied to extract xyloglucan endoglucosidase/hydrolase genes. Analysis of the genes can provide insight into the evolutionary significance and function of the XTH gene family. A total of 41 XTH genes found by searching the phytozomev 10 database were classified into three groups based on their phylogeny and the motifs of individual genes. The 25 and 5 GhXTH genes occurred as clusters resulting from the segmental and tandem duplication. More frequent duplication events in cotton contributed to the expansion of the family. Global microarray analysis of GhXTH gene expression in cotton fibers showed that 18 GhXTH genes could be divided into two clusters and four subclusters based on their expression patterns. Accumulated expression levels were relatively high at the elongation stages of the cotton fibers, suggesting that cotton fiber elongation requires high amounts of the GhXTH protein. The expression profiles of GhXTH3 and GhXTH4 showed by quantitative realtime PCR were similar to those determined by microarray. Additionally, the expression levels of GhXTH3 and GhXTH4 in Gossypium barbadense were higher than those in Gossypium hirsutum at developmental stages, indicating that expression levels of GhXTH3 and GhXTH4 in fibers varied among cultivars differing in fiber length.


2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (10) ◽  
pp. 3246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianbo Li ◽  
Jin Zhang ◽  
Huixia Jia ◽  
Zhiqiang Yue ◽  
Mengzhu Lu ◽  
...  

Small heat shock proteins (sHsps) function mainly as molecular chaperones that play vital roles in response to diverse stresses, especially high temperature. However, little is known about the molecular characteristics and evolutionary history of the sHsp family in Salix suchowensis, an important bioenergy woody plant. In this study, 35 non-redundant sHsp genes were identified in S. suchowensis, and they were divided into four subfamilies (C, CP, PX, and MT) based on their phylogenetic relationships and predicted subcellular localization. Though the gene structure and conserved motif were relatively conserved, the sequences of the Hsp20 domain were diversified. Eight paralogous pairs were identified in the Ssu-sHsp family, in which five pairs were generated by tandem duplication events. Ka/Ks analysis indicated that Ssu-sHsps had undergone purifying selection. The expression profiles analysis showed Ssu-Hsps tissue-specific expression patterns, and they were induced by at least one abiotic stress. The expression correlation between two paralogous pairs (Ssu-sHsp22.2-CV/23.0-CV and 23.8-MT/25.6-MT) were less than 0.6, indicating that they were divergent during the evolution. Various cis-acting elements related to stress responses, hormone or development, were detected in the promoter of Ssu-sHsps. Furthermore, the co-expression network revealed the potential mechanism of Ssu-sHsps under stress tolerance and development. These results provide a foundation for further functional research on the Ssu-sHsp gene family in S. suchowensis.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaomin Feng ◽  
Yongjun Wang ◽  
Nannan Zhang ◽  
Zilin Wu ◽  
Qiaoying Zeng ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Plant genomes contain large number of HAK/KUP/KT transporters, and they play important roles in potassium uptake and translocation, osmotic potential regulation, salt tolerance, root morphogenesis and plant development. Potassium deficiency in soil of sugarcane main planting area is serious. However, the HAK/KUP/KT gene family remains to be characterized in sugarcane (Saccharum). Results: In this study, 30 HAK/KUP/KT genes were identified from Saccharum spontaneum. Phylogenetics, duplication events, gene structure and expression pattern were analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis of HAK/KUP/KT genes from 15 representative plants showed that this gene family were divided into four groups (clade I-IV). Both ancient whole-genome duplication (WGD) and recent gene duplication contributed to the expansion of HAK/KUP/KT gene family. Nonsynonymous to synonymous substitution ratio (Ka/Ks) analysis showed that purifying selection was the main force to drive the evolution of HAK/KUP/KT genes. The divergence time of HAK/KUP/KT gene family was estimated to range from 134.8 to 233.7 Mya based on Ks analysis, suggesting that it is an ancient gene family in plants. Gene structure analysis showed that HAK/KUP/KT genes was accompanied by intron gain/loss in the process of evolution. RNA-seq data analysis demonstrated that HAK/KUP/KT genes from clade II and III mainly displayed constitutive expression in various tissues, while most genes from clade I and IV had no or very low expression in the tested tissues at different developmental stages. SsHAK1 and SsHAK21 displayed upregulated expression in response to low K+ stress. Yeast functional complementation analysis suggested that SsHAK1 and SsHAK21 could rescue K+ uptake ability in the yeast mutant. Conclusions: This study provided insight into the gene evolutionary history of HAK/KUP/KT genes. HAK7/9/18 were mainly expressed in the high photosynthetic zone and mature zone of stem. Moreover HAK7/9/18/25 were regulated by sunlight. SsHAK1 and SsHAK21 played important role in mediating potassium acquisition under limited K+ supply. Our results provide valuable information and key candidate genes for further study on the function of HAK/KUP/KT genes in Saccharum. Keywords: Saccharum, HAK/KUP/KT, evolution, gene expression, low K+ stress


2007 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 231-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather A. Jackson ◽  
Christian R. Marshall ◽  
Eric A. Accili

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels are members of the voltage-gated channel superfamily and play a critical role in cellular pace-making. Overall sequence conservation is high throughout the family, and channel functions are similar but not identical. Phylogenetic analyses are imperative to understand how these genes have evolved and to make informed comparisons of HCN structure and function. These have been previously limited, however, by the small number of available sequences, from a minimal number of species unevenly distributed over evolutionary time. We have now identified and annotated 31 novel genes from invertebrates, urochordates, fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals. With increased sequence numbers and a broader species representation, a more precise sequence comparison was performed and an evolutionary history for these genes was constructed. Our data confirm the existence of at least four vertebrate paralogs and suggest that these arose via three duplication and diversification events from a single ancestral gene. Additional lineage-specific duplications appear to have occurred in urochordate and fish genomes. Based on exon boundary conservation and phylogenetic analyses, we hypothesize that mammalian gene structure was established, and duplication events occurred, after the divergence of urochordates and before the divergence of fish from the tetrapod lineage. In addition, we identified highly conserved sequence regions that are likely important for general HCN functions, as well as regions with differences conserved among each of the individual paralogs. The latter may underlie more subtle isoform-specific properties that are otherwise masked by the high identity among mammalian orthologs and/or inaccurate alignments between paralogs.


Plants ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. 1439
Author(s):  
Shazia Rehman ◽  
Bodil Jørgensen ◽  
Ejaz Aziz ◽  
Riffat Batool ◽  
Samar Naseer ◽  
...  

Serpins (serine protease inhibitors) constitute one of the largest and most widely distributed superfamilies of protease inhibitors and have been identified in nearly all organisms. To gain significant insights, a comprehensive in silico analysis of the serpin gene family was carried out in the model plant for temperate grasses Brachypodium distachyon and barley Hordeum vulgare using bioinformatic tools at the genome level for the first time. We identified a total of 27 BdSRPs and 25 HvSRP genes in Brachypodium and barley, respectively, showing an unexpectedly high gene number in these model plants. Gene structure, conserved motifs and phylogenetic comparisons of serpin genes supported the role of duplication events in the expansion and evolution of serpin gene family. Further, purifying selection pressure was found to be a main driving force in the evolution of serpin genes. Genome synteny analysis indicated that BdSRP genes were present in syntenic regions of barley, rice, sorghum and maize, suggesting that they evolved before the divergence of these species from common ancestor. The distinct expression pattern in specific tissues further suggested a specialization of functions during development and in plant defense. These results suggest that the LR serpins (serpins with Leu-Arg residues at P2–P1′) identified here can be utilized as candidates for exploitation in disease resistance, pest control and preventing stress-induced cell death. Additionally, serpins were identified that could lead to further research aimed at validating and functionally characterizing the role of potential serpin genes from other plants.


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