Abstract
Membrane-bound fatty acid desaturases (FADs) are of great importance and play multiple roles in plant growth and development. In the present study, 39 full-length FAD genes, based on database searches, were identified in tetraploid upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and were phylogenetically clustered into four subfamilies. Genomic localization revealed that 34 genes were mapped on 22 chromosomes, and five genes were positioned on the scaffold sequences. The FAD genes of G. hirsutum in the same subfamily had similar gene structures. The structures of paralogous genes were considerably conserved in exons number and introns length. It was suggested that the FAD gene families in G. hirsutum might be duplicated mainly by segmental duplication. Moreover, the FAD genes were differentially expressed in different G. hirsutum tissues in response to different levels of salt and cold stresses, as determined by qRT-PCR analysis. The identification and functional analysis of FAD genes in G. hirsutum may provide more candidate genes for genetic modification.
Highlights
To date, several membrane-bound FAD genes from different plant species have been characterized
Based on the completed genome sequences of G. hirsutum, a genome-wide search for FAD genes was performed by BlastP and tBlastN program, using Arabidopsis and rice FAD genes as the query sequences
In G. hirsutum, 13 segmental duplicated gene pairs were found, such as five gene pairs in the Front-end desaturase subfamily, two gene pairs in the Sphingolipid desaturase subfamily, and six gene pairs in the Omega desaturase subfamily. These results suggested that the expansion of Sphingolipid desaturase, Front-end desaturase, and Omega desaturase subfamilies were due to the segmental duplication, which was consistent with the previous report[13], namely the increasing size of FAD genes might be contributed by the segmental duplication events
Summary
Several membrane-bound FAD genes from different plant species have been characterized. Cotton is an important commercial crop grown worldwide to provide generous supply of natural fiber for textile industry and to provide cottonseeds for food, feed, and bio-fuel productions[4] It is cultivated mainly in the tropical and subtropical regions. Gossypium hirsutum L., an allotetraploid species, is one of the most commonly grown cotton species for commercial production[4] It was developed from two ancient diploid cotton species, G. raimondii and G. arboreum, by hybridization and chromosome doubling about 1–2 MYA3. All the FAD genes in G. hirsutum were identified and characterized, and the phylogenetic analysis and structural diversification, as well as the expression profiles of the detected GhFAD genes in response to salt and cold stress regimes across different plant tissues were conducted. This research work may contribute to widen our understanding about the structure and function of FAD gene family in G. hirsutum, which may provide some candidate genes for predictable modification of fatty acid profiles in order to improve the plant vigor and seed nutritional value for cotton breeders[1]
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