Zang Yimei, Wang Chongnan, Su Jiaxian, Mo Changming, Xie Lei, Luo Zuliang, Ma Xiaojun
State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herbs, Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100193, China.
Guangxi Crop Genetic Improvement and Biotechnology Laboratory, Guangxi Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Nanning 530007, China.
Int J Mol Sci. 2025 May 30;26(11):5301. doi: 10.3390/ijms26115301.
RNA silencing regulates diverse cellular processes in plants. Argonaute (AGO), Dicer-like (DCL), and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RDR) proteins are core components of RNA interference (RNAi). Despite their functional significance, the systematic identification and characterization of these families have remained largely unexplored in . Using HMMER and Pfam analyses, we identified six , four , and six genes. Phylogenetic analysis classified SgAGOs, SgDCLs, and SgRDRs into five, four, and four clades, respectively, all of which clustered closely with homologs from other species, demonstrating lineage-specific evolutionary conservation. Promoter -element analysis revealed the significant enrichment of hormonal (methyl jasmonate, abscisic acid) and stress-responsive (light, hypoxia) elements, indicating their roles in environmental adaptation. Tissue-specific expression profiling showed that most , , and genes were highly expressed in flowers and mid-stage fruits (35 days after pollination), while exhibited stem-specific expression. By contrast, displayed no tissue specificity. Notably, sex-biased expression patterns in dioecious flowers suggested the RNAi-mediated regulation of gametophyte development and their potential roles in reproductive and secondary metabolic processes. This study lays the foundation for further exploration of RNAi machinery's role in coordinating mogroside biosynthesis and stress resilience in while providing potential targets for genetic improvement.
RNA沉默调节植物中的多种细胞过程。AGO蛋白、DCL蛋白和RDR蛋白是RNA干扰（RNAi）的核心组分。尽管它们具有重要的功能意义，但这些家族的系统鉴定和特征分析在罗汉果中仍很大程度上未被探索。通过HMMER和Pfam分析，我们鉴定出了6个罗汉果AGO基因、4个罗汉果DCL基因和6个罗汉果RDR基因。系统发育分析将罗汉果AGO、罗汉果DCL和罗汉果RDR分别分为5个、4个和4个进化枝，所有这些进化枝都与其他罗汉果属物种的同源物紧密聚类，表明了谱系特异性的进化保守性。启动子元件分析揭示了激素（茉莉酸甲酯、脱落酸）和胁迫响应（光、缺氧）元件的显著富集，表明它们在环境适应中的作用。组织特异性表达谱分析表明，大多数罗汉果AGO、罗汉果DCL和罗汉果RDR基因在花和授粉后35天的中期果实中高表达，而一些罗汉果RDR基因表现出茎特异性表达。相比之下，一些罗汉果AGO基因没有组织特异性。值得注意的是，雌雄异株花中的性别偏向表达模式表明RNAi介导了配子体发育的调控及其在生殖和次生代谢过程中的潜在作用。本研究为进一步探索RNAi机制在协调罗汉果甜苷生物合成和胁迫抗性中的作用奠定了基础，同时为遗传改良提供了潜在靶点。
