Analysis of PYL Genes and Their Potential Relevance to Stress Tolerance and Berry Ripening in Grape

Abstract

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an essential phytohormone that regulates plant growth and development, particularly in response to abiotic stress. The ABA receptor PYR/PYL/RCAR (PYL) family has been identified from some plant species. However, knowledge about the PYL family (VvPYLs) in grape (Vitis vinifera) is limited. This study aims to conduct genome-wide analyses of VvPYLs. We successfully identified eight PYL genes from the newest grape genome database. These VvPYLs could be divided into three subfamilies. Exon-intron structures were closely related to the phylogenetic relationship of the genes, and PYL genes that clustered in the same subfamily had a similar number of exons. VvPYL1, VvPYL2, VvPYL4, VvPYL7, and VvPYL8 were relatively highly expressed in roots. VvPYL1, VvPYL3, VvPYL7, and VvPYL8 were expressed in response to cold, salt, or polyethylene glycol stress. VvPYL6 was up-regulated by cold stress for 4 hours, and the expression of VvPYL2 was 1.74-fold greater than that of the control under cold stress. VvPYL8 was up-regulated 1.64-, 1.83-, and 1.90-fold compared with the control when treated with salt, PEG, or cold stress after 4 hours, respectively. Additionally, abiotic stress-inducible elements exist in VvPYL2, VvPYL3, VvPYL7, and VvPYL8, indicating that in these four genes, the response to abiotic stress may be regulated by cis-regulatory elements. The transcriptional levels of VvPYL1 and VvPYL8 significantly increased from fruit set to the ripening stage and decreased in the berry when treated by exogenous ABA. The eight VvPYL genes have diverse roles in grape stress responses, berry ripening, or development. This work provides insight into the role of VvPYL gene families in response to abiotic stress and berry ripening in grape.