Genome-Wide Identification, Evolution, and Expression Analysis of GASA Gene Family in <i>Prunus mume</i>

oleh: Man Zhang, Wenhui Cheng, Jia Wang, Tangren Cheng, Qixiang Zhang

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2022-09-01

Deskripsi

The Gibberellic Acid Stimulated Arabidopsis/Gibberellin Stimulated Transcript (GASA/GAST) gene family is a group of plant-specific genes encoding cysteine-rich peptides essential to plant growth, development, and stress responses. Although GASA family genes have been identified in various plant species, their functional roles in <i>Prunus mume</i> are still unknown. In this study, a total of 16 <i>PmGASA</i> genes were identified via a genome-wide scan in <i>Prunus mume</i> and were grouped into three major gene clades based on the phylogenetic tree. All PmGASA proteins possessed the conserved GASA domain, consisting of 12-cysteine residues, but varied slightly in protein physiochemical properties and motif composition. With evolutionary analysis, we observed that duplications and purifying selection are major forces driving <i>PmGASA</i> family gene evolution. By analyzing <i>PmGASA</i> promoters, we detected a number of hormonal-response related cis-elements and constructed a putative transcriptional regulatory network for <i>PmGASAs</i>. To further understand the functional role of <i>PmGASA</i> genes, we analyzed the expression patterns of <i>PmGASAs</i> across different organs and during various biological processes. The expression analysis revealed the functional implication of <i>PmGASA</i> gene members in gibberellic acid-, abscisic acid-, and auxin-signaling, and during the progression of floral bud break in <i>P. mume</i>. To summarize, these findings provide a comprehensive understanding of GASA family genes in <i>P. mume</i> and offer a theoretical basis for future research on the functional characterization of GASA genes in other woody perennials.