Li Yuting, Xiong Hongchun, Guo Huijun, Zhao Linshu, Xie Yongdun, Gu Jiayu, Zhao Shirong, Ding Yuping, Li Huiyuan, Zhou Chunyun, Fu Meiyu, Wang Qingguo, Liu Luxiang
National Engineering Laboratory for Crop Molecular Breeding, National Center of Space Mutagenesis for Crop Improvement, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
National Engineering Laboratory for Crop Molecular Breeding, National Center of Space Mutagenesis for Crop Improvement, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
Plant Sci. 2023 Nov;336:111862. doi: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111862. Epub 2023 Sep 15.
Homeodomain proteins encoded by BEL1- and KNAT1-type genes are ubiquitously distributed across plant species and play important roles in growth and development, whereby a comprehensive investigation of their molecular interactions and potential functions in wheat is of great significance. In this study, we systematically investigated the phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, conserved domains, and cis-acting elements of 34 TaBEL and 34 TaKNAT genes in the wheat genome. Our analysis revealed these genes evolved under different selective pressures and showed variable transcript levels in different wheat tissues. Subcellular localization analysis further indicated the proteins encoded by these genes were either exclusively located in the nucleus or both in the nucleus and the cytoplasm. Additionally, a comprehensive protein-protein interaction network was constructed with representative genes in which each TaBEL or TaKNAT proteins interact with at least two partners. The evaluation of wheat mutants identified key genes, including TaBEL-5B, TaBEL-4A.4, and TaKNAT6, which are involved in grain-related traits. Finally, haplotype analysis suggests TaKNAT-6B is associated with grain-related traits and is preferentially selected among a large set of wheat accessions. Our study provides important information on BEL1- and KNAT1-type gene families in wheat, and lays the foundation for functional research in the future.
由BEL1型和KNAT1型基因编码的同源域蛋白广泛分布于植物物种中，并在生长发育中发挥重要作用，因此全面研究它们在小麦中的分子相互作用和潜在功能具有重要意义。在本研究中，我们系统地研究了小麦基因组中34个TaBEL基因和34个TaKNAT基因的系统发育关系、基因结构、保守结构域和顺式作用元件。我们的分析表明，这些基因在不同的选择压力下进化，并在不同的小麦组织中表现出不同的转录水平。亚细胞定位分析进一步表明，这些基因编码的蛋白质要么仅位于细胞核中，要么同时位于细胞核和细胞质中。此外，构建了一个由代表性基因组成的全面的蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用网络，其中每个TaBEL或TaKNAT蛋白与至少两个伙伴相互作用。对小麦突变体的评估鉴定出了关键基因，包括TaBEL-5B、TaBEL-4A.4和TaKNAT6，它们与籽粒相关性状有关。最后，单倍型分析表明TaKNAT-6B与籽粒相关性状有关，并且在大量小麦种质中被优先选择。我们的研究为小麦中BEL1型和KNAT1型基因家族提供了重要信息，并为未来的功能研究奠定了基础。
