Abstract
The GRAS gene family contains plant-specific transcription factors that play crucial roles in plant growth. In this study, 48 PpeGRAS genes were identified throughout the whole peach genome. They appeared randomly distributed on eight chromosomes. A dispersed gene duplication (DSD, 26 of 48) event was responsible for the GRAS gene family duplication in peach. Phylogenetic analysis among peach, rice, Arabidopsis and poplar showed that the PpeGRAS family was divided into 13 subfamilies. The majority of the PpeGRAS genes did not contain any introns (41, 85.4%), while the remaining seven PpeGRAS genes had one (6, 12.5%) or two (1, 2.1%) introns. Motif analysis indicated that the putative PpeGRAS proteins clustering in the same subgroup share similar motifs. Gene expression analysis in the stem apex of the normal cultivar ‘Qiumihong’ (QMH) and the dwarf cultivar ‘Fenhuashouxingtao’ (FHSXT) revealed potential roles of different PpeGRAS genes in peach growth. Two PpeDELLA genes, PpeDELLA1 and PpeDELLA2, were selected for further functional analysis. The dwarf phenotype was due to shorter average internode length and was also observed in transgenic Arabidopsis lines overexpressing PpeDELLA1 or PpeDELLA2. These findings provide insights into understanding the function of PpeGRAS genes and their potential use in the genetic improvement of peach.
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