scholarly journals Genome-Wide Characterization of Dirigent Proteins in Populus: Gene Expression Variation and Expression Pattern in Response to Marssonina brunnea and Phytohormones

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 507
Author(s):  
Lingling Li ◽  
Weibo Sun ◽  
Peijun Zhou ◽  
Hui Wei ◽  
Pu Wang ◽  
...  

Marssonina brunnea causes a major disease that limits poplar growth. Lignin and lignan play essential roles in protecting plants from various biological stresses. Dirigent (DIR) proteins are thought to control the stereoselective coupling of coniferyl alcohol in the formation of lignan and lignin. DIR family members have been well studied in several plant species, but no previous detailed genome-wide analysis has been carried out in forest trees, such as poplar. We identified 40 PtDIR genes in Populus trichocarpa and classified them into three subgroups (DIR-a, DIR-b/d, and DIR-e) based on phylogenetic analyses. These genes are distributed on 11 poplar chromosomes, and 80% of PtDIRs (32/40) are intronless. The cis-element analysis inferred that PtDIRs possess many types of biological and abiotic stress-response cis-elements. We also analyzed intra- and inter-specific collinearity, which provided deep insights into the evolutionary characteristics of the poplar DIR genes. Analyses of the protein tertiary structure and critical amino acid residues showed that PtDIR7–10 and PtDIR13–16, which belong to the DIR-a subfamily, might be involved in the regio- and stereo-selectivity of bimolecular phenoxy radical coupling in poplars. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis revealed different expression patterns for the PtDIR genes of P. trichocarpa and the PeDIR genes of ‘Nanlin 895’ in various tissues. Additionally, we analyzed responses of PeDIRs to M. brunnea and different phytohormone treatments (abscisic acid, salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, and ethylene) in ‘Nanlin 895’. The results showed that at least 18 genes responded strongly to M. brunnea, and these PeDIRs also showed significant responses to phytohormones. These results suggest that DIR genes are involved in the poplar defense response against M. brunnea, and this study will provide fundamental insights for future research on poplar DIR genes.

BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang He ◽  
Yu-Jie Shi ◽  
Qian Zhao ◽  
Kuang-Ji Zhao ◽  
Xing-Lei Cui ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Trees such as Populus are planted extensively for reforestation and afforestation. However, their successful establishment greatly depends upon ambient environmental conditions and their relative resistance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is a ubiquitous metalloproteinase in plants, which plays crucial roles in mediating plant resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses. Although the whole genome sequence of Populus trichocarpa has long been published, little is known about the PPO genes in Populus, especially those related to drought stress, mechanical damage, and insect feeding. Additionally, there is a paucity of information regarding hormonal responses at the whole genome level. Results A genome-wide analysis of the poplar PPO family was performed in the present study, and 18 PtrPPO genes were identified. Bioinformatics and qRT-PCR were then used to analyze the gene structure, phylogeny, chromosomal localization, gene replication, cis-elements, and expression patterns of PtrPPOs. Sequence analysis revealed that two-thirds of the PtrPPO genes lacked intronic sequences. Phylogenetic analysis showed that all PPO genes were categorized into 11 groups, and woody plants harbored many PPO genes. Eighteen PtrPPO genes were disproportionally localized on 19 chromosomes, and 3 pairs of segmented replication genes and 4 tandem repeat genomes were detected in poplars. Cis-acting element analysis identified numerous growth and developmental elements, secondary metabolism processes, and stress-related elements in the promoters of different PPO members. Furthermore, PtrPPO genes were expressed preferentially in the tissues and fruits of young plants. In addition, the expression of some PtrPPOs could be significantly induced by polyethylene glycol, abscisic acid, and methyl jasmonate, thereby revealing their potential role in regulating the stress response. Currently, we identified potential upstream TFs of PtrPPOs using bioinformatics. Conclusions Comprehensive analysis is helpful for selecting candidate PPO genes for follow-up studies on biological function, and progress in understanding the molecular genetic basis of stress resistance in forest trees might lead to the development of genetic resources.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fang He ◽  
Yu-Jie Shi ◽  
Qian Zhao ◽  
Kuang-Ji Zhao ◽  
Xing-Lei Cui ◽  
...  

Abstract Background: Trees such as Populus are planted extensively for reforestation and afforestation. However, their successful establishment greatly depends upon ambient environmental conditions and their relative resistance to abiotic as well as biotic stress. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) is a ubiquitous metalloproteinase in plants, which plays crucial roles in plant resistance against biotic and abiotic stresses. Although the whole genome sequence of populus trichocarpa has long been published, little is known about the PPO genes in Populus, especially those related to drought stress, mechanical damage, insect feeding and hormone response at the whole genome level. Results: In the recent research, a genome-wide analysis of the Poplar PPOs family was finished and 18 PtrPPOs gene were identified. Then, bioinformatics and qRT-PCR were applied to analyze the gene structure, phylogeny, chromosomal localization, gene replication, Cis-elements, expression patterns of PtrPPOs. Sequence analysis revealed that 2/3 of the PtrPPO genes not contained introns. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all PPOs gene were split into 11 subfamilies, and woody plants differentiated a large number of PPO genes. 18 PtrPPOs gene were disproportionally apportioned on 19 chromosomes, and the number of three pairs of segmented replication genes and four tandem repeat genomes were detected in poplars. Cis-acting element analysis identified a large number elements of growth and development, secondary metabolism process, and stress-related elements on the promoters of different PPO members. Furthermore, PtrPPO genes were expressed preferably in young plant tissues and fruits. In addition, some PtrPPOs could be significantly induced by PEG, ABA and JA, thus revealing their potential role in regulating stress response. Conclusions: Comprehensive analysis is helpful to select candidate PPO genes for the follow-up study of the biological function, and molecular genetic progress of stress resistance in forest trees provides genetic resources.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yushan Liu ◽  
Yizhou Wang ◽  
Jiabo Pei ◽  
Yadong Li ◽  
Haiyue Sun

Abstract Background Caffeic acid O-methyltransferases (COMTs) play an important role in the diversification of natural products, especially in the phenylalanine metabolic pathway of plant. The content of COMT genes in blueberry and relationship between their expression patterns and the lignin content during fruit development have not clearly investigated by now. Results Ninety-two VcCOMTs were identified in Vaccinium corymbosum. According to phylogenetic analyses, the 92 VcCOMTs were divided into 2 groups. The gene structure and conserved motifs within groups were similar which supported the reliability of the phylogenetic structure groupings. Dispersed duplication (DSD) and whole-genome duplication (WGD) were determined to be the major forces in VcCOMTs evolution. The results showed that the results of qRT-PCR and lignin content for 22 VcCOMTs, VcCOMT40 and VcCOMT92 were related to lignin content at different stages of fruit development of blueberry. Conclusion We identified COMT gene family in blueberry, and performed comparative analyses of the phylogenetic relationships in the 15 species of land plant, and gene duplication patterns of COMT genes in 5 of the 15 species. We found 2 VcCOMTs were highly expressed and their relative contents were similar to the variation trend of lignin content during the development of blueberry fruit. These results provide a clue for further study on the roles of VcCOMTs in the development of blueberry fruit and could promisingly be foundations for breeding blueberry clutivals with higher fruit firmness and longer shelf life.


BMC Genomics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenqing Zheng ◽  
Liang Du

Abstract Background The deubiquitinase (DUB) family constitutes a group of proteases that regulate the stability or reverse the ubiquitination of many proteins in the cell. These enzymes participate in cell-cycle regulation, cell division and differentiation, diverse physiological activities such as DNA damage repair, growth and development, and response to stress. However, limited information is available on this family of genes in woody plants. Results In the present study, 88 DUB family genes were identified in the woody model plant Populus trichocarpa, comprising 44 PtrUBP, 3 PtrUCH, 23 PtrOTU, 4 PtrMJD, and 14 PtrJAMM genes with similar domains. According to phylogenetic analysis, the PtrUBP genes were classified into 16 groups, the PtrUCH genes into two, the PtrOTU genes into eight, the PtrMJD genes into two, and the PtrJAMM genes into seven. Members of same subfamily had similar gene structure and motif distribution characteristics. Synteny analysis of the DUB family genes from P. thrchocarpa and four other plant species provided insight into the evolutionary traits of DUB genes. Expression profiles derived from previously published transcriptome data revealed distinct expression patterns of DUB genes in various tissues. On the basis of the results of analysis of promoter cis-regulatory elements, we selected 16 representative PtrUBP genes to treatment with abscisic acid, methyl jasmonate, or salicylic acid applied as a foliar spray. The majority of PtrUBP genes were upregulated in response to the phytohormone treatments, which implied that the genes play potential roles in abiotic stress response in Populus. Conclusions The results of this study broaden our understanding of the DUB family in plants. Analysis of the gene structure, conserved elements, and expression patterns of the DUB family provides a solid foundation for exploration of their specific functions in Populus and to elucidate the potential role of PtrUBP gene in abiotic stress response.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenbo Liu ◽  
Jun Ni ◽  
Faheem Shah ◽  
Kaiqin Ye ◽  
Hao Hu ◽  
...  

APYRASEs, which directly regulated the intra- and extra-cellular ATP homeostasis, plays a pivotal role in the regulation of the adaptations to various stresses in mammals, bacteria and plants. In the present study, we identified and characterized the wheat APYRASE family members at the genomic level. The results showed that a total of eight APY homologs with conserved ACR domains were identified. The wheat APYs were further analyzed bioinformatically of their sequence alignment, phylogenetic relations and conserved motifs. Although they share highly conserved secondary structure and tertiary structure, the wheat APYs could be mainly categorized into three groups, according to the phylogenetic and structural analysis. Further, these APYs exhibited similar expression patterns in the root and shoot, among which TaAPY3-1 and TaAPY3-3 had the highest expression level. The time-course expression patterns of the eight APYs in the wheat seedlings in response to the biotic stress and abiotic stress were also investigated. TaAPY3-2, TaAPY3-3, and TaAPY6 exhibited strong sensitivity to all kinds of stresses in the leaves. Some APYs showed specific expression responses, such as TaAPY6 to the heavy metal stress, and TaAPY7 to the heat and salt stress. These results suggested that the stress-inducible APYs could have potential roles in the regulation of the adaptation to the environmental stresses. Moreover, the catalytic activity of TaAPY3-1 was further analyzed in the in vitro system. The results showed that TaAPY3-1 protein exhibited high catalytic activity in degradation of ATP and ADP, but not GTP, CTP and TTP. It also has an extensive range of temperature adaptability, but rather preferred relative acid pH conditions. In this study, the genome-wide identification and characterization of the APYs in wheat could be useful for further genetic modifications to generate high-stress tolerant wheat cultivars.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (17) ◽  
pp. 5947 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hao Zhang ◽  
Shuang Li ◽  
Mengyao Shi ◽  
Sheliang Wang ◽  
Lei Shi ◽  
...  

NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1 (NRT1)/PEPTIDE TRANSPORTER (PTR) family (NPF) proteins can transport various substrates, and play crucial roles in governing plant nitrogen (N) uptake and distribution. However, little is known about the NPF genes in Brassica napus. Here, a comprehensive genome-wide systematic characterization of the NPF family led to the identification of 193 NPF genes in the whole genome of B. napus. The BnaNPF family exhibited high levels of genetic diversity among sub-families but this was conserved within each subfamily. Whole-genome duplication and segmental duplication played a major role in BnaNPF evolution. The expression analysis indicated that a broad range of expression patterns for individual gene occurred in response to multiple nutrient stresses, including N, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) deficiencies, as well as ammonium toxicity. Furthermore, 10 core BnaNPF genes in response to N stress were identified. These genes contained 6–13 transmembrane domains, located in plasma membrane, that respond discrepantly to N deficiency in different tissues. Robust cis-regulatory elements were identified within the promoter regions of the core genes. Taken together, our results suggest that BnaNPFs are versatile transporters that might evolve new functions in B. napus. Our findings benefit future research on this gene family.


Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 315
Author(s):  
Hanzeng Wang ◽  
Xue Leng ◽  
Xuemei Xu ◽  
Chenghao Li

The TIFY gene family is specific to land plants, exerting immense influence on plant growth and development as well as responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Here, we identify 25 TIFY genes in the poplar (Populus trichocarpa) genome. Phylogenetic tree analysis revealed these PtrTIFY genes were divided into four subfamilies within two groups. Promoter cis-element analysis indicated most PtrTIFY genes possess stress- and phytohormone-related cis-elements. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT–PCR) analysis showed that PtrTIFY genes displayed different expression patterns in roots under abscisic acid, methyl jasmonate, and salicylic acid treatments, and drought, heat, and cold stresses. The protein interaction network indicated that members of the PtrTIFY family may interact with COI1, MYC2/3, and NINJA. Our results provide important information and new insights into the evolution and functions of TIFY genes in P. trichocarpa.


2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiali Ye ◽  
Xuetong Yang ◽  
Gan Hu ◽  
Qi Liu ◽  
Wei Li ◽  
...  

Heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) play crucial roles in resisting heat stress and regulating plant development. Recently, HSFs have been shown to play roles in anther development. Thus, investigating the HSF family members and identifying their protective roles in anthers are essential for the further development of male sterile wheat breeding. In the present study, 61 wheat HSF genes (TaHsfs) were identified in the whole wheat genome and they are unequally distributed on 21 chromosomes. According to gene structure and phylogenetic analyses, the 61 TaHsfs were classified into three categories and 12 subclasses. Genome-wide duplication was identified as the main source of the expansion of the wheat HSF gene family based on 14 pairs of homeologous triplets, whereas only a very small number of TaHsfs were derived by segmental duplication and tandem duplication. Heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), HSP70, and another class of chaperone protein called htpG were identified as proteins that interact with wheat HSFs. RNA-seq analysis indicated that TaHsfs have obvious period- and tissue-specific expression patterns, and the TaHsfs in classes A and B respond to heat shock, whereas the C class TaHsfs are involved in drought regulation. qRT-PCR identified three TaHsfA2bs with differential expression in sterile and fertile anthers, and they may be candidate genes involved in anther development. This comprehensive analysis provides novel insights into TaHsfs, and it will be useful for understanding the mechanism of plant fertility conversion.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong Zhou ◽  
Yuan Cheng ◽  
Chunpeng Wan ◽  
Youxin Yang ◽  
Jinyin Chen

The plant DNA-binding with one finger (Dof) gene family is a class of plant-specific transcription factors that play vital roles in many biological processes and response to stresses. In the present study, a total of 36 ClDof genes were identified in the watermelon genome, which were unevenly distributed on 10 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the ClDof proteins could be divided into nine groups, and the members in a particular group had similar motif arrangement and exon-intron structure. We then analyzed the expression patterns of nine selected ClDof genes in eight specific tissues by qRT-PCR, and the results showed that they have tissue-specific expression patterns. We also evaluated the expression levels of the nine selected ClDof genes under salt stress and ABA treatments using qRT-PCR, and they showed differential expression under these treatments, suggesting their important roles in stress response. Taken together, our results provide a basis for future research on the biological functions of Dof genes in watermelon.


Author(s):  
Shefali Mishra ◽  
Pradeep Sharma ◽  
Rajender Singh ◽  
ratan Tiwari ◽  
Gyanendra Pratap Singh

The SnRK gene family is a key regulator playing an important role in plant stress response by phosphorylating the target protein to regulate the signalling pathways. The function of SnRK gene family has been reported in many species but is limited to Triticum asetivum. In this study, SnRK gene family in the wheat genome was identified and its structural characteristics were described. One hundred forty-seven SnRK genes distributed across 21 chromosomes were identified in the Triticum aestivum genome and categorised into three subgroups (SnRK1/2/3) based on phylogenetic analyses and domain types. The gene intron-exon structure and protein-motif composition of SnRKs were similar within each subgroup but different amongst the groups. Gene duplication between the wheat, Arabidopsis, rice and barley genomes was also investigated in order to get insight into the evolutionary aspects of the TaSnRK family genes. SnRK genes showed differential expression patterns in leaves, roots, spike, and grains. Redundant stress-related cis-elements were also found in the promoters of 129 SnRK genes and their expression levels varied widely following drought, ABA and light regulated elements. In particular, TaSnRK2.11 had higher and increased expression under the abiotic stresses and can be a candidate gene for the abiotc stress tolerance. The findings will aid in the functional characterization of TaSnRK genes for further research.


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