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Vodiasova E, Sinchenko A, Khvatkov P, Dolgov S. Genome-Wide Identification, Characterisation, and Evolution of the Transcription Factor WRKY in Grapevine ( Vitis vinifera): New View and Update. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:6241. [PMID: 38892428 PMCID: PMC11172563 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
WRKYs are a multigenic family of transcription factors that are plant-specific and involved in the regulation of plant development and various stress response processes. However, the evolution of WRKY genes is not fully understood. This family has also been incompletely studied in grapevine, and WRKY genes have been named with different numbers in different studies, leading to great confusion. In this work, 62 Vitis vinifera WRKY genes were identified based on six genomes of different cultivars. All WRKY genes were numbered according to their chromosomal location, and a complete revision of the numbering was performed. Amino acid variability between different cultivars was assessed for the first time and was greater than 5% for some WRKYs. According to the gene structure, all WRKYs could be divided into two groups: more exons/long length and fewer exons/short length. For the first time, some chimeric WRKY genes were found in grapevine, which may play a specific role in the regulation of different processes: VvWRKY17 (an N-terminal signal peptide region followed by a non-cytoplasmic domain) and VvWRKY61 (Frigida-like domain). Five phylogenetic clades A-E were revealed and correlated with the WRKY groups (I, II, III). The evolution of WRKY was studied, and we proposed a WRKY evolution model where there were two dynamic phases of complexity and simplification in the evolution of WRKY.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ekaterina Vodiasova
- Federal State Funded Institution of Science “The Labor Red Banner Order Nikita Botanical Gardens—National Scientific Center of the RAS”, Nikita, 298648 Yalta, Russia; (A.S.); (P.K.); (S.D.)
- A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Biology of the Southern Seas of RAS, 299011 Sevastopol, Russia
| | - Anastasiya Sinchenko
- Federal State Funded Institution of Science “The Labor Red Banner Order Nikita Botanical Gardens—National Scientific Center of the RAS”, Nikita, 298648 Yalta, Russia; (A.S.); (P.K.); (S.D.)
| | - Pavel Khvatkov
- Federal State Funded Institution of Science “The Labor Red Banner Order Nikita Botanical Gardens—National Scientific Center of the RAS”, Nikita, 298648 Yalta, Russia; (A.S.); (P.K.); (S.D.)
| | - Sergey Dolgov
- Federal State Funded Institution of Science “The Labor Red Banner Order Nikita Botanical Gardens—National Scientific Center of the RAS”, Nikita, 298648 Yalta, Russia; (A.S.); (P.K.); (S.D.)
- Branch of Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, 142290 Puschino, Russia
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Nawaz MA, Khalil HK, Azeem F, Ali MA, Pamirsky IE, Golokhvast KS, Yang SH, Atif RM, Chung G. In Silico Comparison of WRKY Transcription Factors in Wild and Cultivated Soybean and Their Co-expression Network Arbitrating Disease Resistance. Biochem Genet 2024:10.1007/s10528-024-10701-z. [PMID: 38411942 DOI: 10.1007/s10528-024-10701-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
WRKY Transcription factors (TFs) play critical roles in plant defence mechanisms that are activated in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, information on the Glycine soja WRKYs (GsoWRKYs) is scarce. Owing to its importance in soybean breeding, here we identified putative WRKY TFs in wild soybean, and compared the results with Glycine max WRKYs (GmaWRKYs) by phylogenetic, conserved motif, and duplication analyses. Moreover, we explored the expression trends of WRKYs in G. max (oomycete, fungi, virus, bacteria, and soybean cyst nematode) and G. soja (soybean cyst nematode), and identified commonly expressed WRKYs and their co-expressed genes. We identified, 181 and 180 putative WRKYs in G. max and G. soja, respectively. Though the number of WRKYs in both studied species is almost the same, they differ in many ways, i.e., the number of WRKYs on corresponding chromosomes, conserved domain structures, WRKYGQK motif variants, and zinc-finger motifs. WRKYs in both species grouped in three major clads, i.e., I-III, where group-II had sub-clads IIa-IIe. We found that GsoWRKYs expanded mostly through segmental duplication. A large number of WRKYs were expressed in response to biotic stresses, i.e., Phakospora pachyrhizi, Phytoplasma, Heterodera glycines, Macrophomina phaseolina, and Soybean mosaic virus; 56 GmaWRKYs were commonly expressed in soybean plants infected with these diseases. Finally, 30 and 63 GmaWRKYs and GsoWRKYs co-expressed with 205 and 123 non-WRKY genes, respectively, indicating that WRKYs play essential roles in biotic stress tolerance in Glycine species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Amjad Nawaz
- Advanced Engineering School (Agrobiotek), Tomsk State University, Lenin Ave, 36, Tomsk Oblast, Russia, 634050.
- Center for Research in the Field of Materials and Technologies, Tomsk State University, Tomsk, Russia.
| | - Hafiz Kashif Khalil
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics / CAS-AFS, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Farrukh Azeem
- Department of Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, Government College University Faisalabad (GCUF), Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Amjad Ali
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Igor Eduardovich Pamirsky
- Siberian Federal Scientific Centre of AgrobiotechnologyCentralnaya, Presidium, Krasnoobsk, Russia, 633501
| | - Kirill S Golokhvast
- Advanced Engineering School (Agrobiotek), Tomsk State University, Lenin Ave, 36, Tomsk Oblast, Russia, 634050
- Siberian Federal Scientific Centre of AgrobiotechnologyCentralnaya, Presidium, Krasnoobsk, Russia, 633501
- Laboratory of Supercritical Fluid Research and Application in Agrobiotechnology, Tomsk State University, Lenin Str. 36, Tomsk, Russia, 634050
| | - Seung Hwan Yang
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Yeosu Campus, Yeosu-si, 59626, South Korea
| | - Rana Muhammad Atif
- Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics / CAS-AFS, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
- Precision Agriculture and Analytics Lab, National Centre in Big Data and Cloud Computing, Centre for Advanced Studies in Agriculture and Food Security, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
- Department of Plant Pathology, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
| | - Gyuhwa Chung
- Department of Biotechnology, Chonnam National University, Yeosu Campus, Yeosu-si, 59626, South Korea.
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Xiong R, Peng Z, Zhou H, Xue G, He A, Yao X, Weng W, Wu W, Ma C, Bai Q, Ruan J. Genome-wide identification, structural characterization and gene expression analysis of the WRKY transcription factor family in pea (Pisum sativum L.). BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2024; 24:113. [PMID: 38365619 PMCID: PMC10870581 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-04774-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The WRKY gene family is one of the largest families of transcription factors in higher plants, and WRKY transcription factors play important roles in plant growth and development as well as in response to abiotic stresses; however, the WRKY gene family in pea has not been systematically reported. RESULTS In this study, 89 pea WRKY genes were identified and named according to the random distribution of PsWRKY genes on seven chromosomes. The gene family was found to have nine pairs of tandem duplicates and 19 pairs of segment duplicates. Phylogenetic analyses of the PsWRKY and 60 Arabidopsis WRKY proteins were performed to determine their homology, and the PsWRKYs were classified into seven subfamilies. Analysis of the physicochemical properties, motif composition, and gene structure of pea WRKYs revealed significant differences in the physicochemical properties within the PsWRKY family; however, their gene structure and protein-conserved motifs were highly conserved among the subfamilies. To further investigate the evolutionary relationships of the PsWRKY family, we constructed comparative syntenic maps of pea with representative monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants and found that it was most recently homologous to the dicotyledonous WRKY gene families. Cis-acting element analysis of PsWRKY genes revealed that this gene family can respond to hormones, such as abscisic acid (ABA), indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), gibberellin (GA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and salicylic acid (SA). Further analysis of the expression of 14 PsWRKY genes from different subfamilies in different tissues and fruit developmental stages, as well as under five different hormone treatments, revealed differences in their expression patterns in the different tissues and fruit developmental stages, as well as under hormone treatments, suggesting that PsWRKY genes may have different physiological functions and respond to hormones. CONCLUSIONS In this study, we systematically identified WRKY genes in pea for the first time and further investigated their physicochemical properties, evolution, and expression patterns, providing a theoretical basis for future studies on the functional characterization of pea WRKY genes during plant growth and development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruiqi Xiong
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, 550025, P R China
| | - Zhonghua Peng
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, 550025, P R China
| | - Hui Zhou
- Sichuan Province Seed Station, Chengdu, Sichuan, 610041, China
| | - Guoxing Xue
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, 550025, P R China
| | - Ailing He
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, 550025, P R China
| | - Xin Yao
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, 550025, P R China
| | - Wenfeng Weng
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, 550025, P R China
| | - Weijiao Wu
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, 550025, P R China
| | - Chao Ma
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, 550025, P R China
| | - Qing Bai
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, 550025, P R China
| | - Jingjun Ruan
- College of Agriculture, Guizhou University, Huaxi District, Guiyang, Guizhou Province, 550025, P R China.
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Yuan G, Zhang N, Zou Y, Hao Y, Pan J, Liu Y, Zhang W, Li B. Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of WRKY gene family members in red clover ( Trifolium pratense L.). FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1289507. [PMID: 38130488 PMCID: PMC10733489 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1289507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Trifolium pratense is an important legume forage grass and a key component of sustainable livestock development. Serving as an essential component, the WRKY gene family, a crucial group of regulatory transcription factors in plants, holds significant importance in their response to abiotic stresses. However, there has been no systematic analysis conducted on the WRKY gene family in Trifolium pratense. This study conducted a comprehensive genomic characterization of the WRKY gene family in Trifolium pratense, utilizing the latest genomic data, resulting in the identification of 59 TpWRKY genes. Based on their structural features, phylogenetic characteristics, and conserved motif composition, the WRKY proteins were classified into three groups, with group II further subdivided into five subgroups (II-a, II-b, II-c, II-d, and II-e). The majority of the TpWRKYs in a group share a similar structure and motif composition. Intra-group syntenic analysis revealed eight pairs of duplicate segments. The expression patterns of 59 TpWRKY genes in roots, stems, leaves, and flowers were examined by analyzing RNA-seq data. The expression of 12 TpWRKY genes under drought, low-temperature (4°C), methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and abscisic acid (ABA) stresses was analyzed by RT-qPCR. The findings indicated that TpWRKY46 was highly induced by drought stress, and TpWRKY26 and TpWRKY41 were significantly induced by low temperature stress. In addition, TpWRKY29 and TpWRKY36 were greatly induced by MeJA stress treatment, and TpWRKY17 was significantly upregulated by ABA stress treatment. In this research, we identified and comprehensively analyzed the structural features of the WRKY gene family in T.pratense, along with determined the possible roles of WRKY candidate genes in abiotic stress. These discoveries deepen our understandings of how WRKY transcription factors contribute to species evolution and functional divergence, laying a solid molecular foundation for future exploration and study of stress resistance mechanisms in T.pratense.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Weiguo Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
| | - Beibei Li
- Key Laboratory of Resource Biology and Biotechnology in Western China, Ministry of Education, Northwest University, Xi’an, China
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Wang Y, Li W, Qu J, Li F, Du W, Weng J. Genome-Wide Characterization of the Maize ( Zea mays L.) WRKY Transcription Factor Family and Their Responses to Ustilago maydis. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:14916. [PMID: 37834371 PMCID: PMC10573107 DOI: 10.3390/ijms241914916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 09/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the WRKY transcription factor (TF) family are unique to plants and serve as important regulators of diverse physiological processes, including the ability of plants to manage biotic and abiotic stressors. However, the functions of specific WRKY family members in the context of maize responses to fungal pathogens remain poorly understood, particularly in response to Ustilago maydis (DC.) Corda (U. maydis), which is responsible for the devastating disease known as corn smut. A systematic bioinformatic approach was herein employed for the characterization of the maize WRKY TF family, leading to the identification of 120 ZmWRKY genes encoded on 10 chromosomes. Further structural and phylogenetic analyses of these TFs enabled their classification into seven different subgroups. Segmental duplication was established as a major driver of ZmWRKY family expansion in gene duplication analyses, while the Ka/Ks ratio suggested that these ZmWRKY genes had experienced strong purifying selection. When the transcriptional responses of these genes to pathogen inoculation were evaluated, seven U. maydis-inducible ZmWRKY genes were identified, as validated using a quantitative real-time PCR approach. All seven of these WKRY proteins were subsequently tested using a yeast one-hybrid assay approach, which revealed their ability to directly bind the ZmSWEET4b W-box element, thereby controlling the U. maydis-inducible upregulation of ZmSWEET4b. These results suggest that these WRKY TFs can control sugar transport in the context of fungal infection. Overall, these data offer novel insight into the evolution, transcriptional regulation, and functional characteristics of the maize WRKY family, providing a basis for future research aimed at exploring the mechanisms through which these TFs control host plant responses to common smut and other fungal pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- Specialty Corn Institute, College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Dongling Street, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110866, China; (Y.W.); (J.Q.); (F.L.)
- Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China;
| | - Wangshu Li
- Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China;
| | - Jianzhou Qu
- Specialty Corn Institute, College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Dongling Street, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110866, China; (Y.W.); (J.Q.); (F.L.)
| | - Fenghai Li
- Specialty Corn Institute, College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Dongling Street, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110866, China; (Y.W.); (J.Q.); (F.L.)
| | - Wanli Du
- Specialty Corn Institute, College of Agronomy, Shenyang Agricultural University, Dongling Street, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110866, China; (Y.W.); (J.Q.); (F.L.)
| | - Jianfeng Weng
- Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Zhongguancun South Street, Haidian District, Beijing 100081, China;
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Pan H, Chen Y, Zhao J, Huang J, Shu N, Deng H, Song C. In-depth analysis of large-scale screening of WRKY members based on genome-wide identification. Front Genet 2023; 13:1104968. [PMID: 36699467 PMCID: PMC9868916 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1104968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
With the rapid advancement of high-throughput sequencing technology, it is now possible to identify individual gene families from genomes on a large scale in order to study their functions. WRKY transcription factors are a key class of regulators that regulate plant growth and abiotic stresses. Here, a total of 74 WRKY genes were identified from Dendrobium officinale Kimura et Migo genome. Based on the genome-wide analysis, an in-depth analysis of gene structure and conserved motif was performed. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that DoWRKYs could be classified into three main groups: I, II, and III, with group II divided into five subgroups: II-a, II-b, II-c, II-d, and II-e. The sequence alignment indicated that these WRKY transcriptional factors contained a highly conserved WRKYGQK heptapeptide. The localization analysis of chromosomes showed that WRKY genes were irregularly distributed across several chromosomes of D. officinale. These genes comprised diverse patterns in both number and species, and there were certain distinguishing motifs among subfamilies. Moreover, the phylogenetic tree and chromosomal location results indicated that DoWRKYs may have undergone a widespread genome duplication event. Based on an evaluation of expression profiles, we proposed that DoWRKY5, 54, 57, 21, etc. may be involved in the transcriptional regulation of the JA signaling pathway. These results provide a scientific reference for the study of DoWRKY family genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyu Pan
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, West Anhui University, Luan, China,School of Life Science, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
| | - Yu Chen
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, West Anhui University, Luan, China
| | - Jingyi Zhao
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, West Anhui University, Luan, China
| | - Jie Huang
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, West Anhui University, Luan, China
| | - Nana Shu
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, West Anhui University, Luan, China
| | - Hui Deng
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, West Anhui University, Luan, China,*Correspondence: Hui Deng, ; Cheng Song,
| | - Cheng Song
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Engineering, West Anhui University, Luan, China,*Correspondence: Hui Deng, ; Cheng Song,
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Hou Z, Li A, Huang C. Genome-wide identification, characterization and expression of HSP 20 gene family in dove. Front Genet 2022; 13:1011676. [PMID: 36267407 PMCID: PMC9576933 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.1011676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Davidia involucrata is a significant living fossil with high abiotic stress tolerance. Although heat shock protein 20 (HSP20) has already been linked to heat stress, nothing is known about HSP20 family protein activities in D. involucrata. The functional dynamics of the D. involucrata HSP20 (DiHSP20) gene family were identified and characterized using a thorough genome-wide investigation. From the genome of D. involucrata, a total of 42 HSP20 genes were identified, which are distributed across 16 chromosomes. The DiHSP20 proteins were grouped into seven separate subfamilies by our phylogenetic analysis, which was validated by the conserved motif composition and gene structure studies. Segmental duplication events were shown to play a crucial role in the expansion of the DiHSP20 gene family. Synteny analysis revealed that 19 DiHSP20 genes of D. involucrata shared a syntenic connection with Arabidopsis genes, 39 with C. acuminata genes, and just 6 with O. sativa genes. Additionally, heat stress differently enhanced the expression levels of D. involucrata HSP20 genes. After 1 hour of heat treatment, the expression levels of most DiHSP20 genes, particularly DiHSP20-7, DiHSP20-29, DiHSP20-30, DiHSP20-32, and DiHSP20-34, were dramatically increased, suggestted that they might be employed as heat tolerance candidate genes. Overall, these findings add to our knowledge of the HSP20 family genes and provide helpful information for breeding heat stress resistance in D. involucrata.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Hou
- College of Landscape Engineering, SuZhou Polytechnic Institute of Agriculture, Suzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), College of Life Science, China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
| | - Ang Li
- College of Landscape Engineering, SuZhou Polytechnic Institute of Agriculture, Suzhou, China
| | - Changbing Huang
- College of Landscape Engineering, SuZhou Polytechnic Institute of Agriculture, Suzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Changbing Huang,
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Du Z, You S, Zhao X, Xiong L, Li J. Genome-Wide Identification of WRKY Genes and Their Responses to Chilling Stress in Kandelia obovata. Front Genet 2022; 13:875316. [PMID: 35432463 PMCID: PMC9008847 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.875316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background:Kandelia obovata, a dominant mangrove species, is widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas. Low temperature is the major abiotic stress that seriously limits the survival and growth of mangroves. WRKY transcription factors (TFs) play vital roles in responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, genome-wide analysis of WRKY genes in K. obovata and their responses to chilling stress have not been reported. Methods: Bioinformatic analysis was used to identify and characterize the K. obovata WRKY (KoWRKY) gene family, RNA-seq and qRT–PCR analyses were employed to screen KoWRKYs that respond to chilling stress. Results: Sixty-four KoWRKYs were identified and they were unevenly distributed across all 18 K. obovata chromosomes. Many orthologous WRKY gene pairs were identified between Arabidopsis thaliana and K. obovata, showing high synteny between the two genomes. Segmental duplication events were found to be the major force driving the expansion for the KoWRKY gene family. Most of the KoWRKY genes contained several kinds of hormone- and stress-responsive cis-elements in their promoter. KoWRKY proteins belonged to three groups (I, II, III) according to their conserved WRKY domains and zinc-finger structure. Expression patterns derived from the RNA-seq and qRT–PCR analyses revealed that 9 KoWRKYs were significantly upregulated during chilling acclimation in the leaves. KEGG pathway enrichment analysis showed that the target genes of KoWRKYs were significantly involved in 11 pathways, and coexpression network analysis showed that 315 coexpressed pairs (KoWRKYs and mRNAs) were positively correlated. Conclusion: Sixty-four KoWRKYs from the K. obovata genome were identified, 9 of which exhibited chilling stress-induced expression patterns. These genes represent candidates for future functional analysis of KoWRKYs involved in chilling stress related signaling pathways in K. obovata. Our results provide a basis for further analysis of KoWRKY genes to determine their functions and molecular mechanisms in K. obovata in response to chilling stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaokui Du
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
| | - Shixian You
- Yuhuan Municipal Bureau of Natural Resources and Planning, Yuhuan, China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Marine Academy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lihu Xiong
- Marine Academy of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Junmin Li
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
- *Correspondence: Junmin Li,
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Wei YL, Jin JP, Liang D, Gao J, Li J, Xie Q, Lu CQ, Yang FX, Zhu GF. Genome-wide identification of Cymbidium sinense WRKY gene family and the importance of its Group III members in response to abiotic stress. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:969010. [PMID: 35968117 PMCID: PMC9365948 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.969010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Transcription factors (TFs) of the WRKY family play pivotal roles in defense responses and secondary metabolism of plants. Although WRKY TFs are well documented in numerous plant species, no study has performed a genome-wide investigation of the WRKY gene family in Cymbidium sinense. In the present work, we found 64 C. sinense WRKY (CsWRKY) TFs, and they were further divided into eight subgroups. Chromosomal distribution of CsWRKYs revealed that the majority of these genes were localized on 16 chromosomes, especially on Chromosome 2. Syntenic analysis implied that 13 (20.31%) genes were derived from segmental duplication events, and 17 orthologous gene pairs were identified between Arabidopsis thaliana WRKY (AtWRKY) and CsWRKY genes. Moreover, 55 of the 64 CsWRKYs were detectable in different plant tissues in response to exposure to plant hormones. Among them, Group III members were strongly induced in response to various hormone treatments, indicating their potential essential roles in hormone signaling. We subsequently analyzed the function of CsWRKY18 in Group III. The CsWRKY18 was localized in the nucleus. The constitutive expression of CsWRKY18 in Arabidopsis led to enhanced sensitivity to ABA-mediated seed germination and root growth and elevated plant tolerance to abiotic stress within the ABA-dependent pathway. Overall, our study represented the first genome-wide characterization and functional analysis of WRKY TFs in C. sinense, which could provide useful clues about the evolution and functional description of CsWRKY genes.
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