Li Hao, Chen Yizhen, Fu Mingchuan, Wang Liguo, Liu Renzhong, Liu Zhanji
Key Laboratory of Cotton Breeding and Cultivation in Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Institute of Industrial Crops Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 Jan 3;26(1):359. doi: 10.3390/ijms26010359.
The Really Interesting New Gene (RING) E3 ubiquitin ligases represent the largest class of E3 ubiquitin ligases involved in protein degradation and play a pivotal role in plant growth, development, and environmental responses. Despite extensive studies in numerous plant species, the functions of RING E3 ligases in cotton remain largely unknown. In this study, we performed systematic identification, characterization, and expression analysis of genes in cotton. A total of 514, 509, and 914 genes were identified in , , and , respectively. Duplication analysis indicates that segmental duplication may be the primary mechanism responsible for the expansion of the cotton gene family. Moreover, the Ka/Ks analysis suggests that these duplicated genes have undergone purifying selection throughout the evolutionary history of cotton. Notably, 393 genes exhibited differential expression in response to salt stress. The overexpression of the specific C3H2C3 gene, , in Arabidopsis resulted in enhanced tolerance to salt stress. This study contributes to our understanding of the evolution of cotton RING ligases and paves the way for further functional analysis of the E3 ligase genes in cotton.
真有趣新基因（RING）E3泛素连接酶是参与蛋白质降解的最大一类E3泛素连接酶，在植物生长、发育及环境响应中起关键作用。尽管在众多植物物种中已进行了广泛研究，但RING E3连接酶在棉花中的功能仍 largely未知。在本研究中，我们对棉花中的基因进行了系统鉴定、表征及表达分析。在陆地棉、海岛棉和亚洲棉中分别鉴定出了514个、509个和914个基因。重复分析表明，片段重复可能是棉花基因家族扩张的主要机制。此外，Ka/Ks分析表明，这些重复基因在棉花的整个进化历史中都经历了纯化选择。值得注意的是，393个基因在响应盐胁迫时表现出差异表达。在拟南芥中过表达特定的C3H2C3基因GhRGL1，导致对盐胁迫的耐受性增强。本研究有助于我们了解棉花RING连接酶的进化，并为进一步对棉花E3连接酶基因进行功能分析铺平了道路。
