Pouya Hadiseh Sadat Hosseini, Cheniany Monireh, Heidari Parviz
Faculty of Science, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, 9177948974, Iran.
Faculty of Agriculture, Shahrood University of Technology, Shahrood, 3619995161, Iran.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 14;15(1):25419. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-11099-3.
Drought is one of the significant abiotic stresses seriously affecting plant growth and productivity. In this regard, the identification and utilization of genetic factors improving mechanisms of drought tolerance should be of primary importance. Calcineurin B-like interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) are crucial regulators in calcium signaling pathways, mediating plant responses to abiotic stresses. The present study includes the first comprehensive analysis of the CIPK gene family in durum wheat. A total of 58 TtCIPKs were identified using bioinformatics prediction and then classified into six evolutionary groups by the phylogenetic analysis. Results from the structural analysis indicated variations in exon-intron organizations; members segregated into high- and low-exon-number subgroups. Predictions of subcellular localization indicated that most TtCIPKs are located in the chloroplast and cytosol. According to qPCR results, TtCIPK genes exhibited tissue-specific expression. Besides, it was stated that TtCIPK genes are induced in response to drought stress by both ABA-dependent and independent signaling pathways. Further, phosphorylation site predictions and conserved domain analyses showed functional diversity among TtCIPKs, supporting their roles in stress adaptation. These findings are important for understanding the molecular mechanism of drought tolerance in durum wheat and lay the foundation for developing stress-resilient wheat varieties. The findings provide new insights into ABA-mediated and independent pathways in durum wheat's drought response. These insights lay a foundation for leveraging CIPK genes in developing drought-tolerant wheat varieties, addressing a critical challenge in sustainable agriculture.
干旱是严重影响植物生长和生产力的重要非生物胁迫之一。在这方面，鉴定和利用改善耐旱机制的遗传因素应是首要任务。类钙调神经磷酸酶B互作蛋白激酶（CIPKs）是钙信号通路中的关键调节因子，介导植物对非生物胁迫的响应。本研究首次对硬粒小麦中的CIPK基因家族进行了全面分析。通过生物信息学预测共鉴定出58个TtCIPK基因，然后通过系统发育分析将其分为六个进化组。结构分析结果表明外显子-内含子组织存在差异；成员分为高外显子数和低外显子数亚组。亚细胞定位预测表明，大多数TtCIPK定位于叶绿体和细胞质中。根据qPCR结果，TtCIPK基因表现出组织特异性表达。此外，研究表明TtCIPK基因通过ABA依赖和非依赖信号通路响应干旱胁迫。此外，磷酸化位点预测和保守结构域分析显示TtCIPK之间存在功能多样性，支持它们在胁迫适应中的作用。这些发现对于理解硬粒小麦耐旱的分子机制具有重要意义，并为培育抗逆小麦品种奠定了基础。这些发现为硬粒小麦干旱响应中ABA介导和非依赖途径提供了新的见解。这些见解为利用CIPK基因培育耐旱小麦品种奠定了基础，解决了可持续农业中的一个关键挑战。
