Superfamily of ankyrin repeat proteins in tomato

The ankyrin repeat (ANK) protein family plays a crucial role in plant growth and development and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, no detailed information concerning this family is available for tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) due to the limited information on whole genome sequences. In this study, we identified a total of 130 ANK genes in tomato genome (SlANK), and these genes were distributed across all 12 chromosomes at various densities. And chromosomal localizations of SlANK genes indicated 25 SlANK genes were involved in tandem duplications. Based on their domain composition, all of the SlANK proteins were grouped into 13 subgroups. A combined phylogenetic tree was constructed with the aligned SlANK protein sequences. This tree revealed that the SlANK proteins comprise five major groups. An analysis of the expression profiles of SlANK genes in tomato in different tissues and in response to stresses showed that the SlANK proteins play roles in plant growth, development and stress responses. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a genome-wide analysis of the tomato ANK gene family. This study provides valuable information regarding the classification and putative functions of SlANK genes in tomato.     

Genome-wide analysis and identification of stress-responsive genes of the CCCH zinc finger family in Solanum lycopersicum

Zinc finger genes comprise a large and diverse gene family. Based on their individual finger structures and spacing, zinc finger proteins are further divided into different families according to their specific molecular functions. Genes in the CCCH family encode zinc finger proteins containing a motif with three cysteines and one histidine. They play important roles in plant growth and development, and in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, the limited analysis of the genome sequence has meant that there is no detailed information concerning the CCCH zinc finger family in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). Here, we identified 80 CCCH zinc finger protein genes in the tomato genome. A complete overview of this gene family in tomato was presented, including the chromosome locations, gene duplications, phylogeny, gene structures and protein motifs. Promoter sequences and expression profiles of putative stress-responsive members were also investigated. These results revealed that, with the exception of four genes, the 80 CCCH genes are distributed over all 12 chromosomes with different densities, and include six segmental duplication events. The CCCH family in tomato could be divided into 12 groups based on their different CCCH motifs and into eight subfamilies by phylogenetic analysis. Analysis showed that almost all CCCH genes contain putative stress-responsive cis-elements in their promoter regions. Nine CCCH genes chosen for further quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed differential expression patterns in three representative tomato tissues. In addition, their expression levels indicated that these genes are mostly involved in the response to mannitol, heat, salicylic acid, ethylene or methyl jasmonate treatments. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a genome-wide analysis of the tomato CCCH zinc finger family. Our data provided valuable information on tomato CCCH proteins and form a foundation for future studies of these proteins, especially for those members that may play important roles in stress responses.     

番茄WOX转录因子家族的鉴定及其进化、表达分析

WUSCHEL相关的同源异型盒(WUSCHEL-related homeobox,WOX)是一类植物特异的转录因子家族,具有调控植物干细胞分裂分化动态平衡等重要功能。本研究利用番茄(Solanum lycopersicum)基因组数据,通过建立隐马尔科夫模型并进行检索,鉴定了番茄10个WOX转录因子家族成员。多序列比对发现,番茄WOX转录因子家族成员具有高度保守的同源异型结构域;以拟南芥WOX转录因子家族成员序列为参照,通过邻接法、极大似然法、贝叶斯法重建了系统发育树,三者呈现出类似的拓扑结构,番茄和拟南芥WOX转录因子家族共25个成员被分为3个进化支(Clade)和9个亚家族(Subgroup);利用MEME和GSDS对WOX转录因子家族成员的蛋白保守结构域和基因结构进行了分析,同一亚家族内的WOX转录因子家族成员的保守结构域的种类、组织形式以及基因结构具有高度的一致性;利用Perl和Orthomcl对家族成员的染色体定位和同源性关系进行分析,结果表明串联重复的SlWOX3a和SlWOX3b可能来源于一次复制事件;利用番茄转录组数据和qRT-PCR进行表达分析,结果显示家族成员在不同组织中的表达存在差异,暗示了WOX家族的不同成员在功能上可能具有多样性。本研究对番茄WOX转录因子家族成员进行GO(Gene Ontology)注释和比较分析,结果表明该家族成员作为转录因子,可能在组织器官发育、细胞间通讯等过程中发挥作用。     

Genome-wide analysis of WOX gene family in rice, sorghum, maize, Arabidopsis and poplar

WUSCHEL-related homeobox(WOX)genes form a large gene family specifically expressed in plants.They are known to play important roles in regulating the development of plant tissues and organs by determining cell fate.Recent available whole genome sequences allow us to do more comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the WOX genes in plants.In the present study,we identified 11 and 21 WOXs from sorghum(Sorghum bicolor)and maize(Zea mays),respectively.The 72 WOX genes from rice(Oryza sativa),sorghum,maize,Arabidopsis(Arabidopsis thaliana)and poplar(Populus trichocarpa)were grouped into three well supported clades with nine subgroups according to the amino acid sequences of their homodomains.Their phylogenetic relationship was also supported by the observation of the motifs outside the homodomain.We observed the variation of duplication events among the nine sub-groups between monocots and eudicots,for instance,more gene duplication events of WOXs within subgroup A for monocots,while,less for dicots in this subgroup.Furthermore,we observed the conserved intron/exon structural patterns of WOX genes in rice,sorghum and Arabidopsis.In addition,WUS(Wuschel)-box and EAR(the ERF-associated amphiphilic repression)-like motif were observed to be conserved among several WOX subgroups in these five plants.Comparative analysis of expression patterns of WOX genes in rice and Arabidopsis suggest that the WOX genes play conserved and various roles in plants.This work provides insights into the evolution of the WOX gene family and is useful for future research.     

Genome Wide Identification of C2H2-Type Zinc Finger Proteins of Tomato and Expression Analysis Under Different Abiotic Stresses

In plants, C2H2-type zinc finger proteins play important roles in multiple processes, including plant growth and development, as well as biotic and abiotic responses. In the present study, based on the presence of the C2H2 domain (CX2~4CX3FX5LX2HX3~5H), 112 C2H2-type zinc finger proteins were predicted in tomato. Through gene and protein structures analyses and phylogenetic analysis, the 112 C2H2-type zinc finger proteins were divided into five subfamilies. Members of the same subfamily shared similarities in gene and protein structures, while members of different subfamilies contained different numbers of the C2H2 domain. The tissue expression pattern analysis showed that 24 C2H2-type zinc finger proteins are constitutively expressed in all tissues, indicating that they may play important roles in the growth and development of all tissues. In addition, under chilling (4 °C), heat (42 °C), high salinity (200 Mm NaCl), and osmotic (20% PEG) stresses, members of C2H2-type zinc finger family were induced to varying degrees, which suggested that these genes were involved in multiple abiotic stress responses. This study will provide theoretical basis for further research of C2H2-type zinc finger proteins in tomato.

     

Comprehensive Analysis of Wall-Associated Kinase Genes and Their Expression Under Abiotic and Biotic Stress in Chinese Cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis)

The wall-associated kinase (WAK) gene family, a subfamily of the receptor-like kinase (RLK) gene family, is associated with the cell wall in plants, and has vital functions in cell expansion, pathogen resistance, and heavy metal stress tolerance because of their roles of the extracellular environment sensors to trigger intracellular signals in Arabidopsis. In the present study, 96 Chinese cabbage (Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis) BrWAK gene family members were identified from the B. rapa genome using a reiterative database search and manual confirmation. The protein domain characterization, gene structure analysis, and phylogenetic analysis of the BrWAKs classified them into three gene groups. Comparative genomic analysis between WAK genes from Chinese cabbage and Arabidopsis revealed that the BrWAK genes have undergone the gene expansion and deletion events during evolution. Furthermore, the conserved motifs in the kinase domains of the WAK proteins and eukaryotic protein kinase family proteins were compared and some non-RD kinase proteins among the BrWAKs were identified. Ultimately, expression analysis of BrWAK genes in six tissues and under various stress conditions revealed that some tissue-specific WAK genes might function in callus cell growth and reproduction process; Bra012273, Bra016426, Bra016427, and Bra025882 might be involved in downy mildew resistance and high humidity stress; Bra012273, Bra025882, and Bra025883 might be responded to drought and heat stress. Taken together, this research was identified and classified the WAK gene family in Chinese cabbage and provided valuable resources to explore the potential roles of BrWAK genes in plant development and stress responses.

     

Identification, Phylogeny, and Expression Analysis of Pto-like Genes in Pepper

The Pto gene from the wild tomato (Solanum pimpinellifolium Mill.) encodes a serine/threonine kinase that plays an important role in bacterial speck resistance in the cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum Mill.). In this paper, 10 classes of Pto-like genes are identified using degenerate polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers and database mining in pepper. Sequences alignment reveals that many features of the gene family, such as subdomains, autophosphorylation sites, and important amino acid residues for tomato Pto, are well conserved in pepper. A phylogenetic tree of pepper Pto-like genes along with those of other plant species, including tomato Pto genes, suggests that these genes share a common evolutionary origin, and they may have evolved prior to the divergence of monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants. Expression analysis has revealed that nine selected Pto-like genes can be detected in at least one of the tissues grown under normal growth conditions; however, these genes are differentially expressed. In addition, some of these genes are regulated by at least one of the subjected treatments, including hormones, abiotic stress, and pathogen infection. These findings will contribute to expanding our knowledge of the roles of Pto-like genes in growth, development, and stress tolerance in pepper.     

甘草GuWOX基因家族的鉴定与表达分析北大核心CSCD

WUSCHEL-related homeobox(WOX)转录因子是植物特有的转录因子,具有调控植物生长发育和非生物胁迫响应的作用。该研究通过生物信息学的方法对GuWOX基因家族进行分析,并利用qRT-PCR方法检测该基因家族在不同组织和非生物胁迫下的表达情况,利用RT-PCR方法克隆得到4个GuWOX基因。结果显示,(1)GuWOX基因家族共有16个成员,均含有保守的HD,为亲水性不稳定蛋白质;系统进化分析表明,GuWOX基因家族分为3个进化支(远古支、中间支和现代支);启动子序列中包括响应多种逆境和激素的顺式作用元件。(2)qRT-PCR结果显示,在侧根中GuWOX1的表达量最高,在茎中GuWOX15的表达量最高;GuWOX在盐、无磷和GA_(3)处理后不同时间段都有表达;干旱和ABA处理GuWOX15的表达模式相近,且在处理12 h时均上调表达。(3)成功克隆得到GuWOX1、GuWOX5、GuWOX6、GuWOX12基因,其长度分别为557 bp、707 bp、716 bp和578 bp,分别编码184、237、237和191个氨基酸。该研究结果表明,GuWOX基因参与甘草发育、对逆境胁迫的响应以及植物激素调节,为进一步分析GuWOX基因功能奠定了基础。     

番茄复三螺旋基因响应外源激素和非生物胁迫的研究

复三螺旋(double trihelix)基因在植物形态建成和植株抗逆性方面发挥关键作用。该研究以番茄自交品种AC⁺⁺为试验材料,运用生物信息学方法与qRT PCR技术对5个复三螺旋成员(SlGTL1~SlGTL5)在番茄体内不同器官的表达模式、以及基因对激素与非生物胁迫的响应进行表达分析,以探讨番茄复三螺旋基因的功能。结果表明：(1)生物信息学分析显示,番茄中含有5个复三螺旋基因(SlGTL1~SlGTL5);进化树分析表明,番茄复三螺旋基因具有物种特异性。(2)qRT PCR分析显示,番茄SlGTL3基因在根和茎中特异表达,其他4个基因均在果实中较高表达,表明不同番茄复三螺旋基因的表达具有组织特异性。(3)激素诱导表达结果显示,SlGTL1只响应ABA(1种)激素,而SlGTL5基因可响应4种激素,且速度较快。(4)非生物胁迫诱导证实,SlGTL3、SlGTL5基因可响应盐胁迫,SlGTL3~SlGTL5基因可响应极端温度,SlGTL3和SlGTL4基因可响应机械损伤;SlGTL1、SlGTL4和SlGTL5可响应脱水胁迫。研究认为,SlGTL3的功能可能与植株形态建成和非生物胁迫有关,其他4个基因的功能可能与果实的发育有关;推测SlGTL1可能与ABA信号途径有关,SlGTL5快速响应多种激素,可能位于信息传递的节点,其功能可能与信号传递有关。     

苦荞TCP转录因子全基因组鉴定及非生物胁迫分析

TCP是植物特有的一类转录因子,在植物生长发育过程中发挥着重要作用。该研究利用生物信息学方法对苦荞TCP家族进行全基因组鉴定,并通过实时荧光定量PCR(qRT-PCR)技术分析苦荞TCP基因在干旱胁迫和盐胁迫下的表达特征。结果表明:(1)在苦荞的基因组中鉴定出28个TCP家族成员,它们不均匀地分布在苦荞的8条染色体上。(2)多数的苦荞TCP基因包含1～5个外显子。(3)系统发育分析将苦荞TCP家族分为5个亚家族,种内TCP蛋白多聚集在同一分支上。(4)共线性分析表明,5个苦荞TCP基因来自全基因组复制事件。(5)顺式元件分析显示,苦荞TCP基因的启动子区域的顺式响应元件主要包含胁迫响应元件和激素响应元件两大类。(6)转录组数据分析结果显示,所有苦荞TCP基因在检测组织中均有表达。(7)qRT-PCR结果显示,FtTCP3、FtTCP6、FtTCP12和FtTCP13基因在干旱胁迫和盐胁迫下的表达量发生变化,其中FtTCP3在6 h干旱处理和盐处理时表达量均达到峰值,说明FtTCP3基因在苦荞应对干旱胁迫和盐胁迫中起正向调控作用。该研究结果为了解TCP基因家族的进化和功能提供了新的见解,为苦荞TCP基因家族的功能研究和利用奠定了基础。     

Cloning and functional characterization of a fructan 1-exohydrolase (1-FEH) in the cold tolerant Patagonian species <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bromus pictus</Emphasis>

Protein phosphorylation/dephosphorylation plays critical roles in stress responses in plants. This report presents a comparative characterization of the serine/threonine PP2A catalytic subunit family in Solanum tuberosum (potato) and S. lycopersicum (tomato), two important food crops of the Solanaceae family, based on the sequence analysis and expression profiles in response to environmental stress. Sequence homology analysis revealed six isoforms in potato and five in tomato clustered into two subfamilies (I and II). The data presented in this work show that the expression of different PP2Ac genes is regulated in response to environmental stresses in potato and tomato plants and suggest that, in general, mainly members of the subfamily I are involved in stress responses in both species. However, the differences found in the expression profiles between potato and tomato suggest divergent roles of PP2A in the plant defense mechanisms against stress in these closely related species.