Xu Junfei, Hu Zhaoliu, Chen Sili, Tang Junrong, Chen Lin, Chen Peizhen, Cai Nianhui, Xu Yulan
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Southwest China, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China.
The Key Laboratory of Forest Resources Conservation and Utilization in the Southwest Mountains of China Ministry of Education, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China.
BMC Genomics. 2025 Feb 3;26(1):99. doi: 10.1186/s12864-025-11271-z.
WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX), a specific gene family in plants, plays a critical role during stem cell regulation, plant regeneration and upgrowth. However, our understanding of WOX functions in conifers is limited compared to angiosperms. To address this gap, we investigated the presence, expression profiles and protein characteristics of WOX gene in P. yunnanensis. Our findings revealed that 10 PyWOX genes were dispersed across three existing clades, and their expression profiles were presented in specific developmental stages and tissues. The ancient-clade members (PyWOX13, PyWOXG, PyWOXA) exhibited constitutive expressions in most tissues and developmental stages, indicating that they are the oldest and conserved WOX genes. Members of the intermediate-clade (PyWOXB, PyWOXE) were primarily expressed during callus formation and seed germination, suggesting a role in promoting embryogenesis and plant regeneration. Most members of WUS-clade (PyWUS, PyWOX3, PyWOX4, PyWOX5, PyWOXX) showed high transcripts level in cluster buds, which may be related to meristematic development and the formation of axillary meristems. The self-activation assay demonstrated that PyWOX4 has transcriptional activation activity. Our study also suggested that there were highly conserved and clear orthologs of WOX genes present in Pinus. Together, these findings provide a foundation for further clarifying the function and regulatory mechanism of WOX genes in P. yunnanensis growth and development.
WUSCHEL相关同源异型框（WOX）是植物中的一个特定基因家族，在干细胞调控、植物再生和生长过程中发挥着关键作用。然而，与被子植物相比，我们对针叶树中WOX功能的了解有限。为了填补这一空白，我们研究了云南松中WOX基因的存在情况、表达谱和蛋白质特征。我们的研究结果表明，10个云南松WOX基因分散在三个现有的进化枝中，它们的表达谱呈现在特定的发育阶段和组织中。古老进化枝成员（PyWOX13、PyWOXG、PyWOXA）在大多数组织和发育阶段表现出组成型表达，表明它们是最古老且保守的WOX基因。中间进化枝成员（PyWOXB、PyWOXE）主要在愈伤组织形成和种子萌发过程中表达，表明其在促进胚胎发生和植物再生中发挥作用。WUS进化枝的大多数成员（PyWUS、PyWOX3、PyWOX4、PyWOX5、PyWOXX）在簇生芽中显示出高转录水平，这可能与分生组织发育和腋生分生组织的形成有关。自激活分析表明PyWOX4具有转录激活活性。我们的研究还表明，松树中存在高度保守且明确的WOX基因直系同源物。这些研究结果共同为进一步阐明WOX基因在云南松生长发育中的功能和调控机制奠定了基础。
