Aug 2026· Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB· Vol 238, pp.
111655
· 0 citations· 57 references
Medicine
TL;DR
First comprehensive characterization of the RLCK gene family in sugarcane is presented, elucidating its evolutionary features, expression dynamics and functional roles, and providing compelling evidence that ScRLCK53 modulates salt tolerance through activation of the JA signaling pathway.
Abstract
Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is a major sugar crop, yet its growth and yield are frequently limited by soil salinization. Receptor-like cytoplasmic kinases (RLCKs) act as central signaling hubs in plants, regulating growth, development, immunity, and abiotic stress responses. However, the evolution of the RLCK gene family in sugarcane and its role in salt tolerance remain unclear. Using the high-quality genome of elite cultivar 'Zhongzhe No.1', we identified 262 ScRLCK genes, grouped into 15 subfamilies, all of which contain a typical protein kinase domain. Synteny analysis revealed that whole-genome and segmental duplications were the primary drivers of ScRLCK family expansion, accounting for 67.9% duplication events, while purifying selection predominated during their evolutionary trajectory. T Transcriptome profiling revealed widespread differential expression of ScRLCK genes under hormonal treatments and abiotic stresses; notably, ScRLCK53 was strongly upregulated by salt and other stresses. Functional characterization confirmed nuclear localization of the ScRLCK53. Transgenic Arabidopsis lines displayed markedly enhanced seed germination rates and increased seedling fresh weight under salt stress. Moreover, these overexpression lines exhibited heightened sensitivity to jasmonic acid (JA), accompanied by elevated endogenous JA levels, pronounced upregulation of key JA signaling markers, and enhanced expression of canonical salt-responsive genes. This study represents the first comprehensive characterization of the RLCK gene family in sugarcane, elucidating its evolutionary features, expression dynamics and functional roles, and provides compelling evidence that ScRLCK53 modulates salt tolerance through activation of the JA signaling pathway, providing a theoretical foundation and valuable genetic resources for the genetic enhancement of stress tolerance in sugarcane.
Brassinosteroid signaling kinases (BSKs) act as core signal transducers downstream of Brassinosteroid (BR) perception and integrate plant growth regulation with broad-spectrum biotic and abiotic stress tolerance. Despite well-established functional characterizations of BSK gene families in Arabidopsis thaliana and rice, comprehensive genome-wide profiling and salt response analysis of BSK homologs remain lacking in wheat. In this study, we systematically identified 18 TaBSK family members. Phylogenetic analysis separated wheat TaBSKs into three distinct evolutionary subgroups. The 18 TaBSK loci were unevenly distributed across 14 chromosomes derived from the A, B, and D subgenomes. Motif scanning uncovered 10 universal conserved amino acid motifs, including two signature functional domains: the tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) and protein kinase catalytic domain (PKc). Intra-genomic collinearity analysis confirmed that segmental duplication constituted the primary evolutionary driver underlying TaBSK family expansion. Extensive cis-regulatory element profiling identified abundant hormone- and stress-responsive cis-motifs. Transcriptome profiling RNA-seq datasets revealed five TaBSK genes exhibiting significant differential transcription under salt stress. Specifically, TaBSK16, TaBSK17, and TaBSK18 were markedly upregulated following salt exposure. Collectively, this study delivers an evolutionary and transcriptional atlas of the wheat TaBSK family and provides candidate genes for functional validation and molecular breeding toward salt-tolerant wheat varieties. Collectively, this study explores the evolution and transcriptional patterns of the wheat TaBSK gene family and provides candidate genes for subsequent functional validation and molecular breeding of salt-tolerant wheat varieties.
Yongtao Zhao, Jun-Sen Wang, Zhong-Zhou Zhang et al.· Current Issues in Molecular...· 0 citations
Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) is a globally vital high-biomass sugar crop with a massive demand for potassium (K). Low-K+ stress severely restricts its yield and stress resistance. Plasma membrane intrinsic proteins (PIPs) play pivotal roles in transmembrane water transport and ion homeostasis; however, their evolutionary characteristics and molecular mechanisms underlying nutritional stress responses in the complex polyploid sugarcane remain poorly understood. In this study, genome-wide identification in the sugarcane cultivar XTT22 yielded 149 PIP gene family members (comprising 54 PIP1s and 95 PIP2s). Phylogenetic and chromosomal localization analyses demonstrated that the sugarcane PIP family underwent drastic paralogous expansion during evolution, with tandem duplication acting as the core driving force for the dramatic expansion of the PIP2 subfamily. Spatiotemporal expression profiling unveiled significant modular functional division among PIP genes, identifying a core co-expression group driving rapid early seedling elongation and a PIP2-specific expression cluster dedicated to the physiological homeostasis of mature stems. Notably, the core member ScPIP2-70 exhibited significant early-induced responses at both transcriptional and protein levels in roots under low-K+ stress. Functional complementation assays in the K+-uptake deficient yeast strain R5421 further confirmed that the heterologous expression of ScPIP2-70 effectively rescued the growth defects of yeast under low-K+ conditions, demonstrating its potential transmembrane K+ transport activity. This study not only comprehensively elucidates the evolutionary dynamics and spatiotemporal expression profiles of the sugarcane PIP gene family but also uncovers the novel pleiotropic function of ScPIP2-70 in mediating low-K+ stress tolerance, providing critical theoretical support and candidate gene resources for breeding “potassium-efficient” sugarcane cultivars via modern biotechnology.
Yirong Guo, Qiuping Ling, Xingchen Liu et al.· Agronomy· 0 citations
Nuclear Factor Y, subunit A (NFYA) constitutes a family of transcription factors that play critical roles in plant growth, development and abiotic stress responses. Taxodium hybrid ‘Zhongshanshan’ (T. mucronatum × T. distichum) is a fast-growing tree species with high industrial value and remarkable flooding tolerance. However, the systematic characteristics and abiotic stress response patterns of the ThNFYA gene family remain unclear. In this study, a total of 11 ThNFYA genes were identified. The encoded proteins ranged from 67 to 372 amino acids in length, with predicted molecular weights between 16.84 and 40.12 kDa. Phylogenetic analysis classified plant NFYAs into four clades, with all ThNFYAs falling into clades I and IV. Expression profiling revealed tissue-specific patterns, with six members showing the highest transcript levels in the cambium. Multiple cis-acting elements associated with stress and hormone responses were detected in the promoter regions of ThNFYAs. Most ThNFYAs were differentially regulated under salt, drought, and flooding stresses. Notably, most clade IV members (ThNFYA3, ThNFYA4, and ThNFYA6-ThNFYA8) were downregulated in the wood under partial submergence. This indicates their potential role in modifying wood properties in response to flooding. Co-expression network analysis identified ThNFYA1 and ThNFYA8 as central hub genes in leaves under partial submergence. Overall, these results suggest that the ThNFYA family may serve as candidate regulators of development and stress adaptation in T. hybrid ‘Zhongshanshan’. This study provides valuable insights for further functional verification of ThNFYAs and lays a foundation for marker-assisted breeding of stress-tolerant varieties.
The SWEET (Sugars Will Eventually be Exported Transporter) family, a class of sugar transporters identified in recent years, plays important roles in plant growth and development. Increasing evidence suggests that SWEET genes are also involved in plant responses to abiotic stresses, including salt stress. However, the genome-wide composition and salt-responsive functions of SWEET genes in Elymus nutans Griseb. have not been systematically characterized to date. This study presents the first genome-wide identification of the SWEET gene family in E. nutans and functional characterization of EnSWEET15 in salt stress response, providing candidate genes and a theoretical basis for improving salt tolerance in this species. A total of 12 EnSWEET genes were identified from the E. nutans genome and were unevenly distributed across eight chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis classified them into four subfamilies, and promoter analysis revealed abundant cis-elements related to hormone signaling and stress responses, suggesting roles in abiotic stress adaptation. Expression analysis showed that EnSWEET15 was significantly upregulated in both roots and leaves under salt stress. The full-length EnSWEET15 coding sequence (930 bp ORF) was cloned and functionally characterized. Heterologous overexpression in Arabidopsis thaliana indicated that EnSWEET15 enhances salt tolerance. Transgenic lines showed reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and increased activities of antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), compared with wild-type plants under salt stress. Overall, this study identifies EnSWEET15 as a positive regulator of salt tolerance via modulating ROS homeostasis, providing novel insights into SWEET-mediated salt stress response in perennial forages and valuable genetic resources for salt-tolerant breeding of E. nutans.
Simple Summary PLATZ transcription factors are a plant-specific family of zinc finger proteins that play important roles in regulating plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses. In the legume model plant Medicago truncatula, the PLATZ gene family has not been systematically characterized. In this study, a total of 16 MtPLATZ genes were identified in the M. truncatula genome and classified into four distinct subgroups based on phylogenetic analysis. This family includes five segmental duplication pairs and one tandem duplication pair, all of which have Ka/Ks ratios less than 1, indicating that MtPLATZ genes have experienced strong purifying selection during evolution. Cis-acting element analysis revealed that the promoter regions of MtPLATZ genes contain multiple stress-responsive and hormone-responsive elements, suggesting their potential extensive involvement in environmental adaptation. Preliminary expression profiling under various abiotic stresses, including PEG-induced osmotic stress, acute NaCl shock, acute heat shock, and acute cold shock, demonstrated that MtPLATZ genes exhibit treatment-specific and time-dependent expression patterns, indicating that they may have functional divergence. This study provides a systematic analysis of the MtPLATZ gene family in M. truncatula, offering a valuable reference for functional studies and genetic improvement of stress tolerance in legumes.