Genome-wide identification and functional analysis of gene superfamily in .

The () and () gene superfamilies encode key enzymes involved in the synthesis of cellulose and hemicellulose, which are major components of plant cell walls, and play important roles in the regulation of fruit ripening. However, genome-wide identification and functional analysis of the and gene families in strawberry remain limited. In this study, eight genes and 25 genes were identified in the genome of diploid woodland strawberry (). The protein structures, evolutionary relationships, and -acting elements of the promoter for each gene were investigated. Transcriptome analysis and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) results showed that the transcript levels of many and genes were significantly decreased during fruit ripening. Moreover, based on the transcriptome analysis, we found that the expression levels of many genes were changed after nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) treatment. Transient overexpression of in immature strawberry fruit increased fruit firmness and reduced fresh fruit weight, thereby delaying ripening. In contrast, transient expression of -RNAi resulted in the opposite phenotypes. These findings provide fundamental information on strawberry and genes and may contribute to the elucidation of the molecular mechanism by which /-mediated cell wall synthesis regulates fruit ripening. In addition, these results may be useful in strawberry breeding programs focused on the development of new cultivars with increased fruit shelf-life.