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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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Yu H, Li J, Chang X, Dong N, Chen B, Wang J, Zha L, Gui S. Genome-wide identification and expression profiling of the WRKY gene family reveals abiotic stress response mechanisms in Platycodon grandiflorus. Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 257:128617. [PMID: 38070802 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.128617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
The WRKY family of transcription factors (TFs) is an important gene family involved in abiotic stress responses. Although the roles of WRKY TFs in plant abiotic stress responses are well studied, little is known about the stress-induced changes in WRKY family in Platycodon grandiflorus. 42 PgWRKY genes in seven subgroups were identified in the P. grandiflorus genome. The content of eight platycodins in P. grandiflorus was investigated under cold, heat, and drought stresses. Platycodin D levels significantly increased under three abiotic stresses, while the content changes of other platycodins varied. Transcriptome analysis showed that different WRKY family members exhibited varied expression patterns under different abiotic stresses. PgWRKY20, PgWRKY26, and PgWRKY39 were identified as three key candidates for temperature and drought stress responses, and were cloned and analysed for sequence characteristics, gene structure, subcellular localisation, and expression patterns. The RT-qPCR results showed that PgWRKY26 expression significantly increased after heat stress for 48 h, cold stress for 6 h, and drought stress for 2 d (DS_2 d). The PgWRKY39 expression level significantly increased at DS_2 d. This study provides a theoretical basis for clarifying the molecular mechanism of the abiotic stress responses of the WRKY gene family in P. grandiflorus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanwen Yu
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Jing Li
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Xiangwei Chang
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Nan Dong
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Bowen Chen
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Jutao Wang
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China
| | - Liangping Zha
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China; Institute of Conservation and Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine Resources, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Research & Development of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China.
| | - Shuangying Gui
- College of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei 230012, China; Institute of Pharmaceutics, Anhui Academy of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China; Anhui Province Key Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Technology and Application, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine, Hefei, China; MOE-Anhui Joint Collaborative Innovation Center for Quality Improvement of Anhui Genuine Chinese Medicinal Materials, Hefei, China.
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Javed T, Gao SJ. WRKY transcription factors in plant defense. Trends Genet 2023; 39:787-801. [PMID: 37633768 DOI: 10.1016/j.tig.2023.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
Environmental stressors caused by climate change are fundamental barriers to agricultural sustainability. Enhancing the stress resilience of crops is a key strategy in achieving global food security. Plants perceive adverse environmental conditions and initiate signaling pathways to activate precise responses that contribute to their survival. WRKY transcription factors (TFs) are essential players in several signaling cascades and regulatory networks that have crucial implications for defense responses in plants. This review summarizes advances in research concerning how WRKY TFs mediate various signaling cascades and metabolic adjustments as well as how epigenetic modifications involved in environmental stress responses in plants can modulate WRKYs and/or their downstream genes. Emerging research shows that clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas)-mediated genome editing of WRKYs could be used to improve crop resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talha Javed
- National Engineering Research Center for Sugarcane, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China
| | - San-Ji Gao
- National Engineering Research Center for Sugarcane, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, China.
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