Abstract
Previous studies have shown that germin-like proteins (GLPs) are present ubiquitously in rice and Arabidopsis. However, the understanding regarding their role in development and abiotic/biotic stress resistance remains limited. In the present study, we report genome-wide identification, characterisation, subcellular localization, enzyme activity, and expression analysis of the GLP gene family in rice and Arabidopsis to study their functions. In total, 43 and 32 GLPs in the rice and Arabidopsis genome were identified based on a systematic analysis, respectively. The GLP genes were clustered into six clades based on phylogenetic analysis, and many stress and developmental-related cis-elements were detected in promoters of GLP genes. In addition, subcellular location and superoxide dismutase (SOD) analysis demonstrated that the random selected OsGLP genes on chromosomes 8 and 4 of rice were expressed in the cell wall with SOD activity. Overall, our results showed that tandem duplication events, especially the clusters of tandem duplication genes on chromosome 8 in rice, play a major role in expansion of the GLP family and thus increase our understanding of the role of the GLP family in abiotic/biotic stress and development.
Highlights
Germin and germin-like proteins (GLPs) were first discovered in wheat seeds as specific markers of germination [1,2], after which they were widely found in monocotyledons, dicotyledons, and gymnosperms [3]
A total of 32 distinct chromosomal loci encoding for 37 GLP genes in Arabidopsis and 43 chromosomal loci encoding for 48 GLP genes in rice were identified (Table S1)
The present study examined the GLP gene family in rice and Arabidopsis
Summary
Germin and germin-like proteins (GLPs) were first discovered in wheat seeds as specific markers of germination [1,2], after which they were widely found in monocotyledons, dicotyledons, and gymnosperms [3]. The overexpression of GLP genes in Arabidopsis and rice influenced the normal growth and development of plants [17,18]. GLP genes have different spatial and temporal expression characteristics in a variety of plants, which could affect the enzyme activities [3]. GLP genes are expressed in the apoplast and cell wall of embryonic cells compared with OXO activity during germination, and those genes were considered to be plant cell defenders [19]. Members of the GLP family in rice and Arabidopsis were reanalysed based on complete genome sequences and annotation. We proposed nomenclature, provided chromosomal distribution, identified tandem duplications, and performed phylogenetic analyses of GLP genes in Arabidopsis and rice.
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