expression analysis indicated tissue-specific expression patterns, with higher expression levels observed in roots and qRT-PCR profiling detected increased expression of multiple candidate PtrCOMT genes upon high-salt treatment, hinting that members of this family may be implicated in plant salt stress regulatory processes.
Abstract
Caffeic acid O-methyltransferase (COMT) serves as a crucial rate-limiting enzyme within the melatonin biosynthesis pathway and is involved in various primary and secondary metabolic processes, significantly contributing to plant growth, development, and stress response. Nevertheless, a comprehensive characterization of the COMT gene family in citrus species, particularly with regard to its functional roles under salinity stress, remains unavailable. In the current study, we identified 47 COMT loci from the Poncirus trifoliata genome, and these genes were observed to be non-uniformly scattered across seven chromosomes. The majority of these genes are predicted to localize within the Golgi apparatus and nucleus. Each PtrCOMT gene contains between 2 and 19 exons and 1 and 18 introns, and they are categorized into four groups based on phylogenetic analysis. Collinearity analysis uncovered three intraspecific collinear gene pairs in Poncirus trifoliata. Three orthologous collinear pairs were detected between P. trifoliata and Arabidopsis thaliana, and one pair between P. trifoliata and Oryza sativa. Additionally, the promoter regions of PtrCOMT genes were found to contain 23 distinct cis-acting regulatory elements. Expression analysis indicated tissue-specific expression patterns, with higher expression levels observed in roots. Furthermore, qRT-PCR profiling detected increased expression of multiple candidate PtrCOMT genes upon high-salt treatment, hinting that members of this family may be implicated in plant salt stress regulatory processes. Overall, these findings provide a foundation for further investigation into the functional roles of PtrCOMT genes in response to salt stress.
The expansin (EXs) gene family plays a crucial role in the growth and development of various plants, as well as responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, genome-wide analysis of the EX gene family and their functions in drought and salt stress tolerance has not been examined in Rosa rugosa. In this study, a total of 30 RrEX genes were identified and located on seven different chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis classified these genes into four subfamilies: EXPA (24 members), EXPB (3 members), EXLA (1 member), and EXLB (2 members). The average amino acid length was 269.17 aa, with isoelectric points ranging from 4.79 to 9.97. Most members exhibited high aliphatic indices and protein stability, suggesting their adaptability to diverse environments. The synteny analysis provided insights into the evolution of the EXs gene family in rose. Toxicity and autoactivation assays confirmed that BD-RrEXPA1 was non-toxic to yeast cells and lacked autoactivation activity, indicating its suitability for yeast two-hybrid screening. The transgenic Arabidopsis lines overexpressing RrEXPA1 improved seed germination and root length under abiotic stress. In addition, the overexpression lines showed reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and increased chlorophyll content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity. These results suggest that RrEXPA1 may enhance stress tolerance by promoting root elongation and modulating physiological responses. This study provides important insights into the role of RrEXs in salt and drought stress and lays the foundation for further studies on the regulatory mechanisms of abiotic stress.
Na Sang, Xiao-Xiao Hong, Xi Liu et al.· Gene· 0 citations
Results suggest that the ThNFYA family may serve as candidate regulators of development and stress adaptation in T. hybrid ‘Zhongshanshan’ and lays a foundation for marker-assisted breeding of stress-tolerant varieties.
Inositol monophosphatase (IMP) is a key enzyme in the inositol signaling pathway and ascorbic acid (AsA) biosynthesis, playing crucial roles in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses. Sorghum (
S. bicolor
) is an important cereal crop with remarkable drought and salinity tolerance, yet a systematic analysis of the IMP gene family in sorghum has been lacking. In this study, we identified eight IMP genes (
SbIMP-1–SbIMP-8
) in the sorghum genome. Phylogenetic analysis classified them into six subfamilies, consistent with rice and maize, suggesting a common ancestral origin. Gene structure and motif composition were highly conserved within each subfamily but varied among subfamilies, indicating functional divergence. Synteny analysis revealed strong collinearity between sorghum and maize with mostly one-to-one orthologous relationships, whereas complex one-to-many correspondences were observed with the polyploid
S. spontaneum
, highlighting lineage-specific expansion driven by whole-genome duplication. Promoter cis-element analysis identified numerous stress-related and hormone-responsive elements, including ABRE, DRE, MYB and MYC binding sites. Transcriptome and qRT-PCR analyses under salt (NaCl) and osmotic (PEG) stresses revealed distinct expression patterns:
SbIMP-1
,
SbIMP-3
,
SbIMP-6
,
SbIMP-7
and
SbIMP-8
acted as salt responders. In particular,
SbIMP-4
exhibited a strong salt-specific induction. Promoter enrichment of MYB and MYC binding sites was associated with rapid salt response, whereas the combination of DRE, ABRE and MYB sites in
SbIMP-4
likely underpinned its unique expression profile. This study provides preliminary insights into the expression profiles of SbIMP genes under salt and osmotic stresses, offering a theoretical foundation for molecular breeding aimed at improving abiotic stress response in sorghum and other crops.
Ling Zheng, Xiao-Yu Zhou, Fei Wei et al.· Frontiers in Plant Science· 0 citations
This study systematically characterized the Aux/IAA gene family in pumpkin, highlighting its evolutionary diversity, structural conservation, and distinct regulatory features and inform the potential roles of CmIAA genes in abiotic stress responses.
Nodule inception (NIN)-like proteins (NLPs) are plant-specific transcription factors regulating nutrient absorption, growth, and stress tolerance; however, their roles in stress responses remain largely uncharacterized. Cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa ‘Camarosa’) serves as an ideal model for dissecting the evolution and function of NLP genes. In this study, 37 FaNLP genes were identified genome-wide. Phylogenetic analysis classified them into three subfamilies, which are evenly distributed across seven chromosomes. Divergent exon–intron structures and conserved motif compositions suggest functional differentiation among FaNLPs. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed distinct expression profiles under heat stress and Botrytis cinerea infection. Notably, FaNLPs were significantly more upregulated in the cultivar ‘Shuxing’ than in ‘Benihoppe’. Heat stress inhibited photosynthesis and altered catalase activity (CAT), superoxide dismutase activities (SOD) and peroxidase activities (POD), whereas fungal infection enhanced chitinase activity in both cultivars. Comparative genomics with Arabidopsis and rice revealed strawberry-specific evolutionary patterns of NLPs. Subcellular localization prediction indicates that FaNLP proteins primarily localize to the nucleus, implying their potential roles as transcriptional regulators. This study links FaNLP sequence characteristics with stress response phenotypes, providing a foundation for elucidating NLP-mediated regulatory networks in strawberry. Future functional assays, including overexpression and knockout analyses, will further clarify the biological roles of FaNLPs.
Li-Juan Chen, R. He, Dong Wang et al.· International Journal of Mol...· 0 citations
These genes may serve as promising candidates for improving abiotic stress tolerance and provide molecular insights into their functional roles for future crop improvement programs and experimental validation.
M. Khatun, F. Zohra, Pollob Shing et al.· PLoS ONE· 0 citations
We use cookies to run the site and, with your consent, for analytics and to show ads.
See our Cookie Policy.
