Zhao Yanxin, Cai Manjun, Zhang Xiaobo, Li Yurong, Zhang Jianhua, Zhao Hailiang, Kong Fei, Zheng Yonglian, Qiu Fazhan
National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.
PLoS One. 2014 Apr 9;9(4):e94126. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0094126. eCollection 2014.
Plant mitochondrial transcription termination factor (mTERF) genes comprise a large family with important roles in regulating organelle gene expression. In this study, a comprehensive database search yielded 31 potential mTERF genes in maize (Zea mays L.) and most of them were targeted to mitochondria or chloroplasts. Maize mTERF were divided into nine main groups based on phylogenetic analysis, and group IX represented the mitochondria and species-specific clade that diverged from other groups. Tandem and segmental duplication both contributed to the expansion of the mTERF gene family in the maize genome. Comprehensive expression analysis of these genes, using microarray data and RNA-seq data, revealed that these genes exhibit a variety of expression patterns. Environmental stimulus experiments revealed differential up or down-regulation expression of maize mTERF genes in seedlings exposed to light/dark, salts and plant hormones, respectively, suggesting various important roles of maize mTERF genes in light acclimation and stress-related responses. These results will be useful for elucidating the roles of mTERF genes in the growth, development and stress response of maize.
植物线粒体转录终止因子（mTERF）基因构成了一个大家族，在调节细胞器基因表达方面发挥着重要作用。在本研究中，通过全面的数据库搜索，在玉米（Zea mays L.）中获得了31个潜在的mTERF基因，其中大多数靶向线粒体或叶绿体。基于系统发育分析，玉米mTERF被分为九个主要组，第九组代表了与其他组不同的线粒体和物种特异性进化枝。串联重复和片段重复都促成了玉米基因组中mTERF基因家族的扩张。利用微阵列数据和RNA测序数据对这些基因进行的综合表达分析表明，这些基因呈现出多种表达模式。环境刺激实验表明，在分别暴露于光/暗、盐和植物激素的玉米幼苗中，mTERF基因存在差异上调或下调表达，这表明玉米mTERF基因在光适应和应激相关反应中具有多种重要作用。这些结果将有助于阐明mTERF基因在玉米生长、发育和应激反应中的作用。
