Department of Grassland Science, College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Grassland Science, Tianhe, Wushan Road, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
Institute for Agricultural Biosciences, Oklahoma State University, Ardmore, OK, 73401, USA.
Plant Physiol Biochem. 2024 Nov;216:109112. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2024.109112. Epub 2024 Sep 7.
APETALA2/ethylene-responsive (AP2/ERF) plays crucial roles in resisting diverse stresses and in regulating plant growth and development. However, little is known regarding the structure and function of the AP2/ERF genes in pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum). The AP2/ERF gene family may be involved in the development and maintenance of P. glaucum resilience to abiotic stresses, central to its role as a vital forage and cereal crop. In this study, PgAP2/ERF family members were identified and comprehensive bioinformatics analyses were performed, including determination of phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, conserved motifs, chromosomal localization, gene duplication, expression pattern, protein interaction network, and functional characterization of PgRAV_01 (Related to ABI3/VP1). In total, 78 PgAP2/ERF members were identified in the P. glaucum genome and classified into five subfamilies: AP2, ERF, DREB, RAV, and soloist. Members within the same clade of the PgAP2/ERF family showed similar gene structures and motif compositions. Six duplication events were identified in the PgAP2/ERF family; calculation of Ka/Ks values showed that purification selection dominated the evolution of PgAP2/ERFs. Subsequently, a potential interaction network of PgAP2/ERFs was generated to predict the interaction relationships. Additionally, abiotic stress expression analysis showed that most PgAP2/ERFs were induced in response to drought and heat stresses. Furthermore, overexpression of PgRAV_01 negatively regulated drought tolerance in Nicotiana benthamiana by reducing its antioxidant capacity and osmotic adjustment. Taken together, these results provide valuable insights into the characteristics and functions of PgAP2/ERF genes, with implications for abiotic stress tolerance, and will ultimately contribute to the genetic improvement of cereal crop breeding.
AP2/乙烯响应因子 (AP2/ERF) 在抵抗多种胁迫和调节植物生长发育方面发挥着至关重要的作用。然而，关于珍珠粟 (Pennisetum glaucum) 的 AP2/ERF 基因的结构和功能知之甚少。AP2/ERF 基因家族可能参与了珍珠粟对非生物胁迫的弹性发展和维持，这对其作为重要饲料和谷物作物的作用至关重要。在这项研究中，鉴定了 PgAP2/ERF 家族成员，并进行了综合生物信息学分析，包括确定系统发育关系、基因结构、保守基序、染色体定位、基因复制、表达模式、蛋白质相互作用网络以及 PgRAV_01（与 ABI3/VP1 相关）的功能特征。总共在 P. glaucum 基因组中鉴定了 78 个 PgAP2/ERF 成员，并将其分为五个亚家族：AP2、ERF、DREB、RAV 和独奏者。PgAP2/ERF 家族内同一分支的成员表现出相似的基因结构和基序组成。在 PgAP2/ERF 家族中鉴定了 6 个复制事件；Ka/Ks 值的计算表明，纯化选择主导了 PgAP2/ERFs 的进化。随后，生成了一个潜在的 PgAP2/ERF 相互作用网络，以预测相互作用关系。此外，非生物胁迫表达分析表明，大多数 PgAP2/ERFs 对干旱和热胁迫有响应。此外，过表达 PgRAV_01 通过降低其抗氧化能力和渗透调节来负调控拟南芥对干旱胁迫的耐受性。综上所述，这些结果为 PgAP2/ERF 基因的特征和功能提供了有价值的见解，对非生物胁迫耐受性具有启示意义，并将最终有助于谷物作物遗传改良。
