Cai Xinkai, Li Denglin, Liu Chaojia, Chen Jiayi, Wei Xiuqing, Hu Sitong, Lu Lin, Chen Shengzhen, Yao Qinglong, Xie Shiyu, Xu Xiaowen, Liu Ruoyu, Qin Yuan, Zheng Ping
Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Haixia Applied Plant Systems Biology, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, College of Life Sciences, College of Marine Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, 350002, China.
Fruit Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou, 350013, Fujian, China.
Plant Cell Rep. 2025 Jan 30;44(2):46. doi: 10.1007/s00299-025-03432-x.
Twenty-nine GRAS genes were identified in passion fruit, the N-terminal regions and 3D (three-dimensional) structures were closely related with their tissue-specific expression patterns. Candidate PeGRASs for enhancing stress resistance were identified. Passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) is a tropical fruit crop with significant edible and ornamental value, but its growth and development are highly sensitive to environmental conditions. The plant-specific GRAS gene family plays critical roles in regulating growth, development, and stress responses. Here, we performed the first comprehensive analysis of the GRAS gene family in passion fruit. A total of 29 GRAS genes were identified and named PeGRAS1 to PeGRAS29 based on their chromosomal locations. Phylogenetic analysis using GRAS proteins from passion fruit, Arabidopsis, and rice revealed that PeGRAS proteins could be classified into 10 subfamilies. Compared to Arabidopsis, passion fruit lacked members from the LAS subfamily but gained one GRAS member (PeGRAS9) clustered with the rice-specific Os4 subfamily. Structural analysis performed in silico revealed that most PeGRAS members were intron less and exhibited conserved motif patterns near the C-terminus, while the N-terminal regions varied in sequence length and composition. Members within certain subfamilies including DLT, PAT1, and LISCL with similar unstructured N-terminal regions and 3D structures, exhibited similar tissue-specific expression patterns. While PeGRAS members with difference in these structural features, even within the same subfamily (e.g., DELLA), displayed distinct expression patterns. These findings highlighted that the N-terminal regions of GRAS proteins may be critical for their specific functions. Moreover, many PeGRAS members, particularly those from the PAT1 subfamily, were widely involved in stress responses, with PeGRAS19 and PeGRAS26 likely playing roles in cold tolerance, and PeGRAS25 and PeGRAS28 in drought resistance. This study provides a foundation for further functional research on PeGRASs and offers potential candidates for molecular breeding aimed at enhancing stress tolerance in passion fruit.
在西番莲中鉴定出29个GRAS基因，其N端区域和三维结构与其组织特异性表达模式密切相关。确定了增强抗逆性的候选PeGRAS基因。西番莲（Passiflora edulis Sims）是一种具有重要食用和观赏价值的热带水果作物，但其生长发育对环境条件高度敏感。植物特有的GRAS基因家族在调节生长、发育和应激反应中起关键作用。在此，我们首次对西番莲中的GRAS基因家族进行了全面分析。共鉴定出29个GRAS基因，并根据其染色体位置将其命名为PeGRAS1至PeGRAS29。使用来自西番莲、拟南芥和水稻的GRAS蛋白进行系统发育分析表明，PeGRAS蛋白可分为10个亚家族。与拟南芥相比，西番莲缺少LAS亚家族的成员，但获得了一个与水稻特有的Os4亚家族聚集在一起的GRAS成员（PeGRAS9）。计算机模拟结构分析表明，大多数PeGRAS成员无内含子，且在C端附近呈现保守的基序模式，而N端区域的序列长度和组成各不相同。某些亚家族（包括DLT、PAT1和LISCL）中具有相似无结构N端区域和三维结构的成员表现出相似的组织特异性表达模式。而在这些结构特征上存在差异的PeGRAS成员，即使在同一亚家族中（如DELLA），也表现出不同的表达模式。这些发现突出表明，GRAS蛋白的N端区域可能对其特定功能至关重要。此外，许多PeGRAS成员，特别是来自PAT1亚家族的成员，广泛参与应激反应，PeGRAS19和PeGRAS26可能在耐寒性方面发挥作用，而PeGRAS25和PeGRAS28在抗旱性方面发挥作用。本研究为进一步开展PeGRAS基因的功能研究奠定了基础，并为旨在提高西番莲抗逆性的分子育种提供了潜在的候选基因。
