Abstract
BackgroundPectin methylesterase (PME) is one of pectin-modifying enzyme that affects the pectin homeostasis in cell wall and regulates plant growth and diverse biological processes. The PME genes have been well explored and characterized in different plants. Nevertheless, systematic research on the soybean (Glycine max L.) PME genes remain lacking.ResultsWe identified 127 Glycine max PME genes (GmPME) from the soybean Wm82.a2.v1 genome, which unevenly distributed on 20 soybean chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis classified the GmPME genes into four clades (Group I, Group II, Group III and Group IV). GmPME gene members in the same clades displayed similar gene structures and motif patterns. The gene family expansion analysis demonstrated that segmental duplication was the major driving force to acquire novel GmPME genes compared to the tandem duplication events. Further synteny and evolution analyses showed that the GmPME gene family experienced strong purifying selective pressures during evolution. The cis-element analyses together with the expression patterns of the GmPME genes in various tissues suggested that the GmPME genes broadly participate in distinct biological processes and regulate soybean developments. Importantly, based on the transcriptome data and quantitative RT-PCR validations, we examined the potential roles of the GmPME genes in regulating soybean flower bud development and seed germination.ConclusionIn conclusion, we provided a comprehensive characterization of the PME genes in soybean, and our work laid a foundation for the functional study of GmPME genes in the future.
Highlights
Pectin methylesterase (PME) is one of pectin-modifying enzyme that affects the pectin homeostasis in cell wall and regulates plant growth and diverse biological processes
Identification of soybean PME genes From the soybean Wm82.a2.v1 genome on Phytozome, we identified 127 Glycine max PME (GmPME) genes originated from 20 different soybean chromosomes
The molecular weight (MW) of GmPME members spanned from 11,780.63 Da to 129,972.9 Da, and opening reading frame (ORF) length varied from 321 bp to 3558 bp
Summary
Pectin methylesterase (PME) is one of pectin-modifying enzyme that affects the pectin homeostasis in cell wall and regulates plant growth and diverse biological processes. Whole-genome sequencing technologies promoted the exploration of multiple gene families in diverse species [17]. Genome-wide identifications and characterizations of PME genes have been carried out in diverse plant species, including Arabidopsis [18], rice [19], maize [20], cotton [21], tomato [16] and strawberry [2]. Different PME genes play multiple roles in plants. AtPME17 was another functional pectin methylesterase gene, which was regulated by its PRO region that triggered PME activity in the resistance to Botrytis cinerea [23]. BcPME37c is another published pectin methylesterase gene that was involved in the pollen intine formation in Brassica campestris [25]
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