Pan-Genomic Dissection of GH1 β-Glucosidases in Brassica rapa Identifies BrBGLU10 as an Important Regulator of Pollen Development
TL;DR
Findings establish BrBGLU10 as an important regulator of pollen development and a potential target for fertility-related applications via gene editing in B. rapa and related Brassica crops.
Abstract
Glycoside hydrolase family 1 (GH1) β-glucosidases (BGLUs) play diverse roles in plant development and stress responses. However, a comprehensive pan-genomic characterization of this gene family across diverse Brassica rapa accessions is still lacking. Here, we conducted a pan-genome-wide analysis of BGLU genes across 21 B. rapa accessions. A total of 1840 BGLU genes were identified and clustered into 57 orthologous gene groups (OGGs), comprising 22 core, 19 dispensable, and 16 private groups. Phylogenetic reconstruction assigned these OGGs to five subgroups, and duplication analysis revealed whole-genome duplication as the predominant driver of family expansion, accounting for 47.51% of duplicated genes. Expression profiling identified two core genes, BrBGLU10 and BrBGLU56, as specifically expressed in fertile floral buds and differentially regulated between fertile and sterile lines. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of BrBGLU10 resulted in approximately 36% pollen abortion and drastically reduced seed set upon self-pollination, supporting its important role in pollen development. Collectively, these findings establish BrBGLU10 as an important regulator of pollen development and a potential target for fertility-related applications via gene editing in B. rapa and related Brassica crops.