Roles of acyl-CoA-binding proteins in plant reproduction

Acyl-CoA-binding protein (ACBP) genes involvement in response to abiotic stress and exogenous hormone application in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.)

BACKGROUND

Acyl-CoA-Binding proteins (ACBPs) function as coenzyme A transporters and play important roles in regulating plant growth and development in response to abiotic stress and phytohormones, as well as in membrane repair. To date, the ACBP family has not been a comprehensively characterized in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.).

RESULTS

Eight ACBP genes were identified in the barley genome and named as HvACBP1-8. The analysis of the proteins structure and promoter elements of HvACBP suggested its potential functions in plant growth, development, and stress response. These HvACBPs are expressed in specific tissues and organs following induction by abiotic stressors such as drought, salinity, UV-B exposure, temperature extremes, and exposure to exogenous phytohormones. The HvACBP7 and HvACBP8 amino acid sequences were conserved during the domestication of Tibetan Qingke barley.

CONCLUSIONS

Acyl-CoA-binding proteins may play important roles in barley growth and environmental adaptation. This study provides foundation for further analyses of the biological functions of HvACBPs in the barley stress response.

Multi-omics analysis reveals novel loci and a candidate regulatory gene of unsaturated fatty acids in soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr)

BACKGROUND

Soybean is a major oil crop; the nutritional components of soybean oil are mainly controlled by unsaturated fatty acids (FA). Unsaturated FAs mainly include oleic acid (OA, 18:1), linoleic acid (LLA, 18:2), and linolenic acid (LNA, 18:3). The genetic architecture of unsaturated FAs in soybean seeds has not been fully elucidated, although many independent studies have been conducted. A 3 V multi-locus random single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP)-effect mixed linear model (3VmrMLM) was established to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and QTL-by-environment interactions (QEIs) for complex traits.

RESULTS

In this study, 194 soybean accessions with 36,981 SNPs were calculated using the 3VmrMLM model. As a result, 94 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) and 19 QEIs were detected using single-environment (QTN) and multi-environment (QEI) methods. Three significant QEIs, namely rs4633292, rs39216169, and rs14264702, overlapped with a significant single-environment QTN.

CONCLUSIONS

For QTNs and QEIs, further haplotype analysis of candidate genes revealed that the Glyma.03G040400 and Glyma.17G236700 genes were beneficial haplotypes that may be associated with unsaturated FAs. This result provides ideas for the identification of soybean lipid-related genes and provides insights for breeding high oil soybean varieties in the future.

Identification of acyl-CoA-binding protein gene in Triticeae species reveals that TaACBP4A-1 and TaACBP4A-2 positively regulate powdery mildew resistance in wheat

Plant acyl-CoA-binding proteins (ACBPs), which contain the conserved ACB domain, participate in multiple biological processes, however, there are few reports on wheat ACBPs. In this study, the ACBP genes from nine different species were identified comprehensively. The expression patterns of TaACBP genes in multiple tissues and under various biotic stresses were determined by qRT-PCR. The function of selected TaACBP genes was studied by virus-induced gene silencing. A total of 67 ACBPs were identified from five monocotyledonous and four dicotyledonous species and divided into four classes. Tandem duplication analysis of the ACBPs suggested that tandem duplication events occurred in Triticum dicoccoides, but there was no tandem duplication event in wheat ACBP genes. Evolutionary analysis suggested that the TdACBPs may have experienced gene introgression during tetraploid evolution, while TaACBP gene loss events occurred during hexaploid wheat evolution. The expression pattern showed that all the TaACBP genes were expressed, and most of them were responsive to induction by Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici or Fusarium graminearum. Silencing of TaACBP4A-1 and TaACBP4A-2 increased powdery mildew susceptibility in the common wheat BainongAK58. Furthermore, TaACBP4A-1, which belonged to class III, physically interacted with autophagy-related ubiquitin-like protein TaATG8g in yeast cells. This study provided a valuable reference for further investigations into the functional and molecular mechanisms of the ACBP gene family.

Genome-wide identification of acyl-CoA binding proteins and possible functional prediction in legumes

Acyl-CoA-binding proteins (ACBPs), members of a vital housekeeping protein family, are present in various animal and plant species. They are divided into four classes: small ACBPs (class I), ankyrin-repeat ACBPs (class II), large ACBPs (class III), and kelch-ACBPs (class IV). Plant ACBPs play a pivotal role in intracellular transport, protection, and pool formation of acyl-CoA esters, promoting plant development and stress response. Even though legume crops are important for vegetable oils, proteins, vegetables and green manure, legume ACBPs are not well investigated. To comprehensively explore the functions of ACBPs in nine legumes (Lotus japonicus, Medicago truncatula, Glycine max, Vigna angularis, Vigna radiata, Phaseolus vulgaris, Arachis hypogaea, Arachis duranensis, and Arachis ipaensis), we conducted genome-wide identification of the ACBP gene family. Our evolutionary analyses included phylogenetics, gene structure, the conserved motif, chromosomal distribution and homology, subcellular localization, cis-elements, and interacting proteins. The results revealed that ACBP Orthologs of nine legumes had a high identity in gene structure and conserved motif. However, subcellular localization, cis-acting elements, and interaction protein analyses revealed potentially different functions from previously reported. The predicted results were also partially verified in Arachis hypogaea. We believe that our findings will help researchers understand the roles of ACBPs in legumes and encourage them to conduct additional research.