Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of Elongator complex family genes in response to abiotic stresses in rice

Abstract

<p id="C3">Elongator complex (ELP) is a class of protein complex that elongates RNA polymerase II in eukaryotic transcription, which plays an important role in plant growth and development, and resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, we identified the ELP family genes and explored the physical and chemical properties, subcellular location, chromosome location, promoter cis-acting elements prediction, and expression patterns under abiotic stresses in rice (<italic>Oryza sativa</italic>) ELP family genes by bioinformatics methods. A total of six OsELPs members were preliminarily identified, which randomly distributed on five chromosomes and encoded protein containing 250 to 1344 amino acid in rice. Their molecular weight and isoelectric point were 27.97-148.99 kD and 5.01-8.63, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the ELPs proteins from rice (<italic>Oryza sativa</italic>), <italic>Arabidopsis</italic> (<italic>Arabidopsis thaliana</italic>), yeast (<italic>Saccharomyces cerevisiae</italic>), and human (<italic>Homo sapiens</italic>) could be divided into four groups (Group I-Group IV). And subgroup I contained OsELP1, subgroup II contained OsELP2 and OsELP5, subgroup III contained OsELP4, subgroup IV contained OsELP3 and OsELP6. There were a variety of <italic>cis</italic>-acting elements in the promoter regions of<italic> OsELPs</italic>, which mainly responded to light, phytohormone, drought, low temperature, defense, and stress stimulant signals. The induced expression patterns confirmed that all <italic>OsELPs</italic> genes were differentially expressed with different degrees under various abiotic stresses including PEG, low temperature, salt, and dehydration. Among them, <italic>OsELP6</italic> was significantly up-regulated under the four kinds of abiotic stresses, which may mediate the comprehensive resistance to various abiotic stresses in rice.