Jun 2026· International Journal of Molecular Sciences· Vol 27, pp. 5799· 0 citations· 56 references
Medicine
TL;DR
Findings provide a comprehensive foundation for understanding the evolutionary history and expression dynamics of the HaHsp20 family in sunflower, and highlight HaHsp21.59 and HaHsp25.91 as promising candidate genes for future functional validation of their potential roles in heat stress tolerance.
Abstract
Small heat shock proteins (Hsp20s) function as essential molecular chaperones in plant stress responses, yet their genome-wide characterization in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) remains lacking and their functional role in heat response is also unknown. In this study, 65 HaHsp20 genes were identified in sunflower through a comprehensive genome-wide analysis based on the conserved ACD (α-crystallin) domain. The expansion of this family was primarily driven by whole-genome duplication (WGD) or segmental duplication events, with the CI subfamily (20 members) representing the most significantly expanded lineage-specific clade. While all HaHsp20 proteins harbor the conserved α-crystallin domain (ACD), they exhibit diverse molecular weights (11.31–53.35 kDa), isoelectric points (4.71–9.75), and subcellular localization patterns. Promoter cis-regulatory element analysis revealed a predominance of ABA and MeJA-responsive elements but only two canonical heat shock elements. Transcriptome and RT-qPCR analyses revealed that most HaHsp20 genes are responsive to heat stress, with seven HaHsp20 genes exhibiting extremely upregulated expression (more than 1000-fold) after 10 h of 45 °C treatment. Among these, HaHsp21.59 and HaHsp25.91 showed an increase of over 4000-fold in expression. These findings provide a comprehensive foundation for understanding the evolutionary history and expression dynamics of the HaHsp20 family in sunflower, and highlight HaHsp21.59 and HaHsp25.91 as promising candidate genes for future functional validation of their potential roles in heat stress tolerance.
Heat shock proteins (HSPs) are conserved molecular chaperones involved in protein folding, refolding, aggregation prevention, and degradation of damaged proteins. However, the genomic organization and thermal responsiveness of HSP genes in the Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) remain incompletely understood. Here, we performed a genome-wide analysis of the HSP gene family and examined its phylogenetic relationships, structural features, duplication patterns, sequence variation, interaction networks, and transcriptional responses to acute heat stress. A total of 34 HSP genes were identified and classified into the HSP90, HSP70, HSP40/DNAJ, HSP60, and small HSP families. Phylogenetic, motif, gene structure, synteny, and subcellular localization analyses revealed evolutionary conservation and structural diversification among family members. Three duplicated gene pairs were identified, comprising two segmental duplications and one tandem duplication. All pairs exhibited Ka/Ks ratios below 1, consistent with purifying selection of varying strength. Sequence analysis identified 295 nonsynonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms, of which 12 were consistently predicted to be deleterious by multiple algorithms. Protein-protein interaction analysis indicated enrichment of protein-folding and cellular stress-response functions. RT-qPCR analysis showed significant induction of HSPA4, HSP90AA1, TRAP1, BiP, and DNAJA1 after 6, 12, and 24 h of exposure to 34 °C, whereas DNAJC3 was significantly induced only at 12 h. All six genes reached their highest transcript abundance at 12 h. These findings may provide a genomic framework for HSP genes in L. vannamei and identify candidate genes and variants associated with thermal stress responses.
Aminah A. Barqawi· Comparative Biochemistry and...· 0 citations
Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) are enzymes involved in glycerolipid biosynthesis and play a key role in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses. However, a comprehensive genome-wide and in silico analysis of the GPAT gene family in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) has not been performed to date. In this study, the GPAT gene family in the sunflower genome was characterized using bioinformatics approaches. A total of 23 HaGPAT genes were identified; their chromosomal distributions, phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, conserved motifs, protein properties, subcellular localizations, cis-regulatory elements, miRNA targets, protein-protein interaction networks, three-dimensional protein structures, synteny relationships, duplication events, Ka/Ks ratios, and expression profiles based on RNA-seq data were analyzed. Expression analyses based on RNA-seq data showed that HaGPAT genes exhibited variable expression profiles under different tissues. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the structural features, evolutionary relationships, and expression profiles of the HaGPAT gene family, and constitute a valuable genomic resource for future functional studies.
Neslihan Ünal· International journal of lif...· 0 citations
Proper protein folding and stability are vital for plant development and stress tolerance. Heat shock proteins (Hsps), regulated by heat shock transcription factors (Hsfs), play a central role in abiotic stress responses. Zucchini (Cucurbita pepo), a key member of the Cucurbitaceae family, is economically important and widely cultivated worldwide. In Turkey, Seyden F1 and Cordelia F1 are the predominant cultivars used for domestic consumption and export. In this study, a total of 464 C. pepo Hsp genes distributed across six subfamilies and 77 CpHsf genes were identified and analyzed using bioinformatics tools, representing the first comprehensive genome-wide identification and characterization of Hsp and Hsf gene families in C. pepo across two cultivars. Gene structure, conserved motifs, and phylogenetic relationships indicated strong evolutionary conservation, largely shaped by segmental duplications. Comparative genomic analyses revealed that soybean is the closest species based on shared orthologs. miRNA analyses highlighted miR395 and miR167 as key post-transcriptional regulators of CpHsp and CpHsf genes. Transcriptomic analyses revealed distinct tissue-specific and temporal expression patterns under normal and stress conditions. qRT-PCR validation in Seyden F1 and Cordelia F1 cultivars under heat, drought, and combined stress treatments identified key stress-responsive genes, CpHsp70-20 and CpHsf-68, which were consistently upregulated across all stress conditions. Interestingly, CpHsp60-34 showed significant downregulation under heat stress in the Cordelia cultivar, highlighting genotype-specific variations between cultivars. The key marker genes and in silico interaction networks identified herein provide a robust resource for functional characterization and molecular breeding to improve stress resilience in zucchini.
Kevser Ceylan, M. Baloğlu, Y. Ceylan et al.· Plant growth regulation (Pri...· 0 citations
Cold shock proteins (CSPs) play important roles in cellular adaptation to environmental stress. However, their characteristics and potential roles in yak (Bos grunniens), a species adapted to high-altitude environments, remain poorly understood. In this study, a genome-wide identification and comparative analysis of the CSP gene family was performed primarily using bioinformatics approaches based on publicly available genomic and transcriptomic datasets, along with a preliminary validation of their differential expression under cold and hypoxic stress. A total of 14 CSP genes were identified in the yak genome. Phylogenetic analysis across eight bovine species classified these genes into nine distinct clusters, revealing evolutionary conservation within the CSP family. Structural analyses showed variation in exon-intron organization and conserved motifs associated with stress responses. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis further suggested potential functional interactions between CSPs and key regulatory proteins. Tissue transcriptomic data indicated distinct expression patterns of CSP genes across multiple tissues. To provide experimental support for these findings, Reverse Transcription Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis was conducted in yak preadipocytes exposed to cold and hypoxic stress, revealing significant upregulation of several CSP genes. Together, these results provide a comprehensive overview of the CSP gene family in yak and offer insights into their potential roles in high-altitude adaptation in bovine species.
SUMOylation is a well-conserved post-translational modification that is essential for modulating plant adaptation to various abiotic stresses. Although the functions of small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) genes have been reported in various plant species, systematic studies focusing on the SUMO gene family members in alfalfa remain limited. In this study, we identified 49 MsSUMO genes from the alfalfa genome using bioinformatics approaches, and conducted comprehensive analyses of their phylogenetic relationships, structural features, cis-regulatory elements, and expression patterns. Most MsSUMO genes were predicted to localize in the nucleus and cytoplasm, consistent with their roles in transcriptional regulation and protein modification. Phylogenetic analysis grouped MsSUMO, soybean and Arabidopsis SUMO genes into seven subfamilies, which exhibited both high homology and species-specific divergence, suggesting functional differentiation during evolution. Conserved motif and domain analyses revealed strong structural consistency among MsSUMO members, with relatively simple gene architectures. In total, 59 types of cis-elements were detected in the promoter regions, playing crucial roles in plant growth, light signaling, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Abscisic acid-responsive elements (ABREs) were the most abundant, implying that this gene family may serve key functions in stress regulation via the abscisic acid (ABA) signal pathway. Protein interaction network analysis indicated that MsSUMO members cooperate with core enzymes to modulate downstream stress-responsive targets. Transcriptome and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) results showed that eight MsSUMO genes exhibited significant expression responses to salt, drought, and waterlogging stresses. Remarkably, six genes consistently exhibited upregulation across all three stress conditions. This observation underscores their potential as pivotal players in abiotic stress tolerance and identifies them as promising candidates for subsequent functional characterization.
Ting Wang, Yupeng Guo, Yi Xu et al.· PeerJ· 0 citations