Evolution and Expression of the Membrane Attack Complex and Perforin Gene Family in the Poaceae.

Lujun Yu,Ming Xiao,Shiyi Chen,Di Liu,Linna Wang,Xue Zhang,Hua Qi,Sirui Ma,Yangshuo Dai,Wuxiu Guo,Shi Xiao,Qinfang Chen

doi:10.3390/ijms21165736

Lujun Yu, Ming Xiao + Show 10 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms21165736

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Abstract

Membrane Attack Complex and Perforin (MACPF) proteins play crucial roles in plant development and plant responses to environmental stresses. To date, only four MACPF genes have been identified in Arabidopsis thaliana, and the functions of the MACPF gene family members in other plants, especially in important crop plants, such as the Poaceae family, remain largely unknown. In this study, we identified and analyzed 42 MACPF genes from six completely sequenced and well annotated species representing the major Poaceae clades. A phylogenetic analysis of MACPF genes resolved four groups, characterized by shared motif organizations and gene structures within each group. MACPF genes were unevenly distributed along the Poaceae chromosomes. Moreover, segmental duplications and dispersed duplication events may have played significant roles during MACPF gene family expansion and functional diversification in the Poaceae. In addition, phylogenomic synteny analysis revealed a high degree of conservation among the Poaceae MACPF genes. In particular, Group I, II, and III MACPF genes were exposed to strong purifying selection with different evolutionary rates. Temporal and spatial expression analyses suggested that Group III MACPF genes were highly expressed relative to the other groups. In addition, most MACPF genes were highly expressed in vegetative tissues and up-regulated by several biotic and abiotic stresses. Taken together, these findings provide valuable information for further functional characterization and phenotypic validation of the Poaceae MACPF gene family.

Highlights

The Membrane Attack Complex and Perforin (MACPF) protein family gets its name from a functional domain shared between proteins of the membrane attack complex (MAC) and perforin proteins in a variety of organisms [1]
Based on phylogenetic analysis, domain organization, and gene structure analysis, we combined evolution and expression profile analysis to explore the and gene structure analysis, we combined evolution and expression profile analysis to explore the evolution and function of the MACPF family, which expands our understanding of MACPF proteins in evolution and function of the MACPF family, which expands our understanding of MACPF proteins the Poaceae
We characterized the full complement of MACPF genes in six representative Poaceae genomes, for a total of 42 MACPF genes showing uneven distribution across the chromosomes

Summary

Introduction

The Membrane Attack Complex and Perforin (MACPF) protein family gets its name from a functional domain shared between proteins of the membrane attack complex (MAC) and perforin proteins in a variety of organisms [1]. Proteins of the MACPF family are structurally related to cholesterol-dependent cytolysins [2] and form pores in cellular membranes upon oligomerization [3,4]. MACPF proteins share structural similarities to proteins of the complement system (C6, C7, C8α, C8β, and C9), which participate in an organism’s immune response to bacterial and viral infections [5]. High resolution X-ray crystallography structure analysis of Perforin, C8α, Plu-MACPF, and GNIP1Aa proteins revealed the mechanism of pore formation by MACPF proteins and the associated disruption of cell membranes [2,6,7,8].

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