He Lei, Lu Chen, Yan Xi, Yang Sha, Zhou Peng, Lai Wei, He Jianwen
Pepper Research Institute, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550025, China.
Guizhou Key Laboratory of Molecular Breeding for Characteristic Horticultural Crops, Guiyang 550025, China.
Genes (Basel). 2025 May 14;16(5):579. doi: 10.3390/genes16050579.
() genes regulate plant organ abscission by degrading pectin in the cell wall. However, their association with pedicel abscission susceptibility in pepper remains poorly understood.
47 genes were identified were identified in the 'Zunla1' genome and characterized by structural, evolutionary, and comparative genomic analyses. Their expression profiles across various tissues and fruit development stages were examined using transcriptome data. Ethephon treatment and qRT-PCR were employed to assess gene responses during ethylene-induced pedicel abscission.
The 47 genes were distributed across 12 chromosomes, with to unanchored. Most proteins were hydrophilic, nuclear-localized, and had promoters enriched in light-responsive elements. Collinearity analysis revealed limited segmental duplication, and Ka/Ks values indicated strong purifying selection. Phylogenetic and collinearity analyses showed that genes are more closely related to those in tomato than in or maize. Expression profiling revealed tissue- and stage-specific patterns, with 21 genes associated with pedicel abscission susceptibility. Ethephon treatment enhanced abscission and upregulated several genes.
This study offers insights into the gene family's structure, evolution, and function. Specific genes likely contribute to ethylene-mediated pedicel abscission, providing potential targets for improving fruit-retention traits in pepper.
（）基因通过降解细胞壁中的果胶来调节植物器官脱落。然而，它们与辣椒果柄脱落易感性的关系仍知之甚少。
在“遵辣1号”基因组中鉴定出47个基因，并通过结构、进化和比较基因组分析对其进行表征。利用转录组数据检测它们在不同组织和果实发育阶段的表达谱。采用乙烯利处理和qRT-PCR评估乙烯诱导果柄脱落过程中的基因反应。
47个基因分布在12条染色体上，有 至 个未定位。大多数蛋白质具有亲水性，定位于细胞核，且启动子富含光响应元件。共线性分析显示片段重复有限，Ka/Ks值表明存在强烈的纯化选择。系统发育和共线性分析表明，该基因与番茄中的基因比与 或玉米中的基因关系更密切。表达谱分析揭示了组织和阶段特异性模式，其中21个基因与果柄脱落易感性相关。乙烯利处理增强了脱落并上调了几个基因。
本研究为该基因家族的结构、进化和功能提供了见解。特定基因可能有助于乙烯介导的果柄脱落，为改善辣椒保果性状提供了潜在靶点。
