Genome-Wide Identification of the NRT1 Family Members and Their Expression under Low-Nitrate Conditions in Chinese Cabbage ( L. ssp. ).

Nitrate transporters (NRTs) actively take up and transform nitrate (N) to form a large family with many members and distinct functions in plant growth and development. However, few studies have identified them in the context of low nitrate concentrations in Chinese cabbage ( L. ssp. ), an important vegetable in China. This study focuses on the identification and analysis of the nitrate transporter 1 (NRT1) gene family as well as various aspects, including its phylogenic distribution, chromosomal position, gene structure, conserved motifs, and duplication pattern. Using bioinformatics methods, we identified and analyzed 84 genes distributed on ten chromosomes. Furthermore, we conducted an analysis of the expression profile of the NRT1 gene in various tissues of Chinese cabbage exposed to varying nitrate concentrations. A phylogenetic analysis revealed that members are distributed in six distinct groups. Based on an analysis of gene structure and conserved motifs, it can be inferred that exhibits a generally conserved structural pattern. The promoters of were discovered to contain moosefs (MFS) elements, suggesting their potential role in the regulation of NO transport across the cell membrane in Chinese cabbage. A transcriptome study and a subsequent RT-qPCR analysis revealed that the expression patterns of some genes were distinct to specific tissues. This observation implies these genes may contribute to nitrate uptake and transport in various tissues or organs. The results offer fundamental insights into investigating the gene family in Chinese cabbage. These results provide basic information for future research on the functional characterization of genes in Chinese cabbage and the elucidation of the molecular mechanisms underlying low nitrogen tolerance in Chinese cabbage.