Prediction Of Cis-regulatory Elements Research Articles

The Vital Role of the CAMTA Gene Family in Phoebe bournei in Response to Drought, Heat, and Light Stress

The calmodulin-binding transcriptional activator (CAMTA) is a small, conserved gene family in plants that plays a crucial role in regulating growth, development, and responses to various abiotic stress. Given the significance of the CAMTA gene family, various studies have been dedicated to uncovering its functional characteristics. In this study, genome-wide identification and bioinformatics analysis were conducted to explore CAMTAs in Phoebe bournei. A total of 17 CAMTA genes, each containing at least one domain from CG-1, TIG, ANK, or IQ, were identified in the P. bournei genome. The diversity of PbCAMTAs could be varied depending on their subcellular localization. An analysis of protein motifs, domains, and gene structure revealed that members within the same subgroup exhibited similar organization, supporting the results of the phylogenetic analysis. Gene duplications occurred among members of the PbCAMTA gene family. According to the cis-regulatory element prediction and protein–protein interaction network analysis, eight genes were subjected to qRT-PCR under drought, heat, and light stresses. The expression profiles indicated that PbCAMTAs, particularly PbCAMTA2, PbCAMTA12, and PbCAMTA16, were induced by abiotic stress. This study provides profound insights into the functions of CAMTAs in P. bournei.

Genome-Wide Characterization and Expression Analyses of Major Latex Protein Gene Family in Populus simonii × P. nigra.

Major latex proteins, or MLPs, are crucial to plants' capacity to grow, develop, and endure biotic and abiotic stresses. The MLP gene family has been found in numerous plants, but little is known about its role in Populus simonii × P. nigra. This study discovered and assessed 43 PtMLP genes that were unevenly dispersed throughout 12 chromosomes in terms of their physicochemical characteristics, gene structure, conserved motifs, and protein localization. Based on their phylogeny and protein structural characteristics, three separate subclasses of PtMLP family were identified. Segmental and tandem duplication were found to be essential variables in the expansion of the PtMLP genes. The involvement of the PtMLP genes in growth and development, as well as in the responses to different hormones and stresses, was demonstrated by cis-regulatory element prediction. The PtMLP genes showed varying expression patterns in various tissues and under different conditions (cold, salt, and drought stress), as demonstrated in RNA-Seq databases, suggesting that PsnMLP may have different functions. Following the further investigation of the genes demonstrating notable variations in expression before and after the application of three stresses, PsnMLP5 was identified as a candidate gene. Subsequent studies revealed that PsnMLP5 could be induced by ABA treatment. This study paves the way for further investigations into the MLP genes' functional mechanisms in response to abiotic stressors, as well as the ways in which they can be utilized in poplar breeding for improved stress tolerance.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Auxin Response Factor Gene Family in Melastoma dodecandrum Genome.

Auxin Response Factors (ARFs) mediate auxin signaling and govern diverse biological processes. However, a comprehensive analysis of the ARF gene family and identification of their key regulatory functions have not been conducted in Melastoma dodecandrum, leading to a weak understanding of further use and development for this functional shrub. In this study, we successfully identified a total of 27 members of the ARF gene family in M. dodecandrum and classified them into Class I-III. Class II-III showed more significant gene duplication than Class I, especially for MedARF16s. According to the prediction of cis-regulatory elements, the AP2/ERF, BHLH, and bZIP transcription factor families may serve as regulatory factors controlling the transcriptional pre-initiation expression of MedARF. Analysis of miRNA editing sites reveals that miR160 may play a regulatory role in the post-transcriptional expression of MeARF. Expression profiles revealed that more than half of the MedARFs exhibited high expression levels in the stem compared to other organs. While there are some specific genes expressed only in flowers, it is noteworthy that MedARF16s, MedARF7A, and MedARF9B, which are highly expressed in stems, also demonstrate high expressions in other organs of M. dodecandrum. Further hormone treatment experiments revealed that these MedARFs were sensitive to auxin changes, with MedARF6C and MedARF7A showing significant and rapid changes in expression upon increasing exogenous auxin. In brief, our findings suggest a crucial role in regulating plant growth and development in M. dodecandrum by responding to changes in auxin. These results can provide a theoretical basis for future molecular breeding in Myrtaceae.

Genome-Wide Analysis of the Universal Stress Protein Gene Family in Blueberry and Their Transcriptional Responses to UV-B Irradiation and Abscisic Acid

Universal stress proteins (USPs) play essential roles in plant development, hormonal regulation, and abiotic stress responses. However, the characteristics and functional divergence of USP family members have not been studied in blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum). In this study, we identified 72 VcUSP genes from the Genome Database for Vaccinium. These VcUSPs could be divided into five groups based on their phylogenetic relationships. VcUSPs from groups Ⅰ, Ⅳ, and Ⅴ each possess one UspA domain; group Ⅰ proteins also contain an ATP-binding site that is not present in group Ⅳ and Ⅴ proteins. Groups Ⅱ and Ⅲ include more complex proteins possessing one to three UspA domains and UspE or UspF domains. Prediction of cis-regulatory elements in the upstream sequences of VcUSP genes indicated that their protein products are likely involved in phytohormone signaling pathways and abiotic stress responses. Analysis of RNA deep sequencing data showed that 21 and 7 VcUSP genes were differentially expressed in response to UV-B radiation and exogenous abscisic acid (ABA) treatments, respectively. VcUSP41 and VcUSP68 expressions responded to both treatments, and their encoded proteins may integrate the UV-B and ABA signaling pathways. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis revealed that VcUSP22, VcUSP26, VcUSP67, VcUSP68, and VcUSP41 were co-expressed with many transcription factor genes, most of which encode members of the MYB, WRKY, zinc finger, bHLH, and AP2 families, and may be involved in plant hormone signal transduction, circadian rhythms, the MAPK signaling pathway, and UV-B-induced flavonoid biosynthesis under UV-B and exogenous ABA treatments. Our study provides a useful reference for the further functional analysis of VcUSP genes and blueberry molecular breeding.

Genome-wide characterization of tobacco B-BOX gene family identified two close members play contrast roles under cold stress

Cold stress influences the growth and geographical distribution of plants. Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.), a model in plant biology studies and a world-widely cultivated economic plant from tropical America, exhibits extreme sensitivity to low temperatures. The conserved B-BOX (BBX) transcription factors play vital roles in plant photomorphogenesis and flowering regulation, and their functions in abiotic stresses, including cold stress, have been uncovered recently. However, few studies on tobacco BBX genes have been conducted to date. In this study, 49 non-redundant BBX genes have been identified in the reference tobacco genome. Gene structure, phylogenetic relationship, prediction of cis-regulatory elements in promoters, tissue-specific expression patterns, and response to cold stress were conducted on these BBX gene members. The expression of NtBBX9 and NtBBX11, two close members in the amplified group II, was up-regulated under cold treatments. Overexpression of NtBBX11 embedded the cold tolerance of transgenic plants, while the NtBBX9 overexpressors were susceptible to cold. The NtBBX9 functions as a negative regulator of tobacco response to cold stress, which was confirmed by the phenotype of NtBBX9 RNA-silenced lines. Furthermore, we demonstrated that NtBBX9 and NtBBX11 regulated the cold stress response by alternating the expression of critical cold-regulated genes such as CBFs, LEA14, and LTI65 and reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. The combination of NtBBX9 and NtBBX11 could facilitate tobacco’s rapid response to and recovery from transient cold stress and regulate plant cold-responsive growth in tropical regions.

The Late Embryogenesis Abundant Proteins in Soybean: Identification, Expression Analysis, and the Roles of GmLEA4_19 in Drought Stress.

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins play important roles in regulating plant growth and responses to various abiotic stresses. In this research, a genome-wide survey was conducted to recognize the LEA genes in Glycine max. A total of 74 GmLEA was identified and classified into nine subfamilies based on their conserved domains and the phylogenetic analysis. Subcellular localization, the duplication of genes, gene structure, the conserved motif, and the prediction of cis-regulatory elements and tissue expression pattern were then conducted to characterize GmLEAs. The expression profile analysis indicated that the expression of several GmLEAs was a response to drought and salt stress. The co-expression-based gene network analysis suggested that soybean LEA proteins may exert regulatory effects through the metabolic pathways. We further explored GnLEA4_19 function in Arabidopsis and the results suggests that overexpressed GmLEA4_19 in Arabidopsis increased plant height under mild or serious drought stress. Moreover, the overexpressed GmLEA4_19 soybean also showed a drought tolerance phenotype. These results indicated that GmLEA4_19 plays an important role in the tolerance to drought and will contribute to the development of the soybean transgenic with enhanced drought tolerance and better yield. Taken together, this study provided insight for better understanding the biological roles of LEA genes in soybean.

Prediction accuracy of regulatory elements from sequence varies by functional sequencing technique.

Various sequencing based approaches are used to identify and characterize the activities of cis-regulatory elements in a genome-wide fashion. Some of these techniques rely on indirect markers such as histone modifications (ChIP-seq with histone antibodies) or chromatin accessibility (ATAC-seq, DNase-seq, FAIRE-seq), while other techniques use direct measures such as episomal assays measuring the enhancer properties of DNA sequences (STARR-seq) and direct measurement of the binding of transcription factors (ChIP-seq with transcription factor-specific antibodies). The activities of cis-regulatory elements such as enhancers, promoters, and repressors are determined by their sequence and secondary processes such as chromatin accessibility, DNA methylation, and bound histone markers. Here, machine learning models are employed to evaluate the accuracy with which cis-regulatory elements identified by various commonly used sequencing techniques can be predicted by their underlying sequence alone to distinguish between cis-regulatory activity that is reflective of sequence content versus secondary processes. Models trained and evaluated on D. melanogaster sequences identified through DNase-seq and STARR-seq are significantly more accurate than models trained on sequences identified by H3K4me1, H3K4me3, and H3K27ac ChIP-seq, FAIRE-seq, and ATAC-seq. These results suggest that the activity detected by DNase-seq and STARR-seq can be largely explained by underlying DNA sequence, independent of secondary processes. Experimentally, a subset of DNase-seq and H3K4me1 ChIP-seq sequences were tested for enhancer activity using luciferase assays and compared with previous tests performed on STARR-seq sequences. The experimental data indicated that STARR-seq sequences are substantially enriched for enhancer-specific activity, while the DNase-seq and H3K4me1 ChIP-seq sequences are not. Taken together, these results indicate that the DNase-seq approach identifies a broad class of regulatory elements of which enhancers are a subset and the associated data are appropriate for training models for detecting regulatory activity from sequence alone, STARR-seq data are best for training enhancer-specific sequence models, and H3K4me1 ChIP-seq data are not well suited for training and evaluating sequence-based models for cis-regulatory element prediction.

Evolution and Expression of the Meprin and TRAF Homology Domain-Containing Gene Family in Solanaceae.

Meprin and TRAF homology (MATH)-domain-containing proteins are pivotal in modulating plant development and environmental stress responses. To date, members of the MATH gene family have been identified only in a few plant species, including Arabidopsis thaliana, Brassica rapa, maize, and rice, and the functions of this gene family in other economically important crops, especially the Solanaceae family, remain unclear. The present study identified and analyzed 58 MATH genes from three Solanaceae species, including tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), potato (Solanum tuberosum), and pepper (Capsicum annuum). Phylogenetic analysis and domain organization classified these MATH genes into four groups, consistent with those based on motif organization and gene structure. Synteny analysis found that segmental and tandem duplication might have contributed to MATH gene expansion in the tomato and the potato, respectively. Collinearity analysis revealed high conservation among Solanaceae MATH genes. Further cis-regulatory element prediction and gene expression analysis showed that Solanaceae MATH genes play essential roles during development and stress response. These findings provide a theoretical basis for other functional studies on Solanaceae MATH genes.

The NAC transcription factor family in Eucommia ulmoides: Genome-wide identification, characterization, and network analysis in relation to the rubber biosynthetic genes.

The NAC transcription factor family is a large plant gene family, participating in plant growth and development, secondary metabolite synthesis, biotic and abiotic stresses responses, and hormone signaling. Eucommia ulmoides is a widely planted economic tree species in China that can produce trans-polyisoprene: Eucommia rubber (Eu-rubber). However, genome-wide identification of the NAC gene family has not been reported in E. ulmoides. In this study, 71 NAC proteins were identified based on genomic database of E. ulmoides. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the EuNAC proteins were distributed in 17 subgroups based on homology with NAC proteins in Arabidopsis, including the E. ulmoides-specific subgroup Eu_NAC. Gene structure analysis suggested that the number of exons varied from 1 to 7, and multitudinous EuNAC genes contained two or three exons. Chromosomal location analysis revealed that the EuNAC genes were unevenly distributed on 16 chromosomes. Three pairs of genes of tandem duplicates genes and 12 segmental duplications were detected, which indicated that segmental duplications may provide the primary driving force of expansion of EuNAC. Prediction of cis-regulatory elements indicated that the EuNAC genes were involved in development, light response, stress response and hormone response. For the gene expression analysis, the expression levels of EuNAC genes in various tissues were quite different. To explore the effect of EuNAC genes on Eu-rubber biosynthesis, a co-expression regulatory network between Eu-rubber biosynthesis genes and EuNAC genes was constructed, which indicated that six EuNAC genes may play an important role in the regulation of Eu-rubber biosynthesis. In addition, this six EuNAC genes expression profiles in E. ulmoides different tissues were consistent with the trend in Eu-rubber content. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that EuNAC genes were responsive to different hormone treatment. These results will provide a useful reference for further studies addressing the functional characteristics of the NAC genes and its potential role in Eu-rubber biosynthesis.

Genome-wide characterization of sugarcane catalase gene family identifies a ScCAT1 gene associated disease resistance

In plants, catalase (CAT) mainly scavenges H2O2 from reactive oxygen species (ROS) and regulates the growth and development. So far, genome-wide identification of CAT gene family in Saccharum has not yet been reported. Here, 16 SsCAT genes were identified based on a Saccharum spontaneum genome. They were clustered into three subfamilies, with closer genes sharing similar structures. Most SsCAT proteins contained three conserved amino acids, one active catalytic site, one heme-ligand signature, and three peroxisomal targeting signal 1 (PTS1) sequences. The cis-regulatory element prediction revealed that SsCAT genes were involved in growth and development, and in response to various hormones and stresses. RNA-Seq databases showed that SsCAT genes were differentially expressed in Saccharum tissues and under cold, drought, and Sporisorium scitamineum stresses. The ScCAT1 gene transcript (GenBank accession number KF664183) and relevant CAT activity were up-regulated under S. scitamineum stress. Overexpression of ScCAT1 gene in Nicotiana benthamiana could enhance its resistance to pathogen infection through scavenging of excessive toxic ROS and up-regulated expressions of genes related to hypersensitive response (HR), ROS and salicylic acid (SA) pathways. This study provides comprehensive information for the CAT gene family and sets up a basis for its function identification in sugarcane.

Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of the Maize Serine Peptidase S8 Family Genes in Response to Drought at Seedling Stage.

Subtilisin-like proteases (subtilases) are found in almost all plant species and are involved in regulating various biotic and abiotic stresses. Although the literature on subtilases in different plant species is vast, the gene function of the serine peptidase S8 family and its maize subfamily is still unknown. Here, a bioinformatics analysis of this gene family was conducted by describing gene structure, conserved motifs, phylogenetic relationships, chromosomal distributions, gene duplications, and promoter cis-elements. In total, we identified 18 ZmSPS8 genes in maize, distributed on 7 chromosomes, and half of them were hydrophilic. Most of these proteins were located at the cell wall and had similar secondary and tertiary structures. Prediction of cis-regulatory elements in promoters illustrated that they were mainly associated with hormones and abiotic stress. Maize inbred lines B73, Zheng58, and Qi319 were used to analyze the spatial-temporal expression patterns of ZmSPS8 genes under drought treatment. Seedling drought results showed that Qi319 had the highest percent survival after 14 d of withholding irrigation, while B73 was the lowest. Leaf relative water content (LRWC) declined more rapidly in B73 and to lower values, and the nitrotetrazolium blue chloride (NBT) contents of leaves were higher in Qi319 than in the other inbreds. The qPCR results indicated that 6 serine peptidase S8 family genes were positively or negatively correlated with plant tolerance to drought stress. Our study provides a detailed analysis of the ZmSPS8s in the maize genome and finds a link between drought tolerance and the family gene expression, which was established by using different maize inbred lines.

Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of the BBX Gene Family and Its Role in Carotenoid Biosynthesis in Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.).

The B-box proteins (BBXs) are a family of zinc-finger transcription factors with one/two B-Box domain(s) and play important roles in plant growth and development as well as stress responses. Wolfberry (Lycium barbarum L.) is an important traditional medicinal and food supplement in China, and its genome has recently been released. However, comprehensive studies of BBX genes in Lycium species are lacking. In this study, 28 LbaBBX genes were identified and classified into five clades by a phylogeny analysis with BBX proteins from Arabidopsis thaliana and the LbaBBXs have similar protein motifs and gene structures. Promoter cis-regulatory element prediction revealed that LbaBBXs might be highly responsive to light, phytohormone, and stress conditions. A synteny analysis indicated that 23, 20, 8, and 5 LbaBBX genes were orthologous to Solanum lycopersicum, Solanum melongena, Capsicum annuum, and Arabidopsis thaliana, respectively. The gene pairs encoding LbaBBX proteins evolved under strong purifying selection. In addition, the carotenoid content and expression patterns of selected LbaBBX genes were analyzed. LbaBBX2 and LbaBBX4 might play key roles in the regulation of zeaxanthin and antheraxanthin biosynthesis. Overall, this study improves our understanding of LbaBBX gene family characteristics and identifies genes involved in the regulation of carotenoid biosynthesis in wolfberry.

Genome-wide characterization and analysis of Golden 2-Like transcription factors related to leaf chlorophyll synthesis in diploid and triploid Eucalyptus urophylla.

Golden 2-Like (GLK) transcription factors play a crucial role in chloroplast development and chlorophyll synthesis in many plant taxa. To date, no systematic analysis of GLK transcription factors in tree species has been conducted. In this study, 40 EgrGLK genes in the Eucalyptus grandis genome were identified and divided into seven groups based on the gene structure and motif composition. The EgrGLK genes were mapped to 11 chromosomes and the distribution of genes on chromosome was uneven. Phylogenetic analysis of GLK proteins between E. grandis and other species provided information for the high evolutionary conservation of GLK genes among different species. Prediction of cis-regulatory elements indicated that the EgrGLK genes were involved in development, light response, and hormone response. Based on the finding that the content of chlorophyll in mature leaves was the highest, and leaf chlorophyll content of triploid Eucalyptus urophylla was higher than that of the diploid control, EgrGLK expression pattern in leaves of triploid and diploid E. urophylla was examined by means of transcriptome analysis. Differential expression of EgrGLK genes in leaves of E. urophylla of different ploidies was consistent with the trend in chlorophyll content. To further explore the relationship between EgrGLK expression and chlorophyll synthesis, co-expression networks were generated, which indicated that EgrGLK genes may have a positive regulatory relationship with chlorophyll synthesis. In addition, three EgrGLK genes that may play an important role in chlorophyll synthesis were identified in the co-expression networks. And the prediction of miRNAs targeting EgrGLK genes showed that miRNAs might play an important role in the regulation of EgrGLK gene expression. This research provides valuable information for further functional characterization of GLK genes in Eucalyptus.

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the GA2ox gene family in maize (Zea mays L.) under various abiotic stress conditions

GA 2-oxidases (GA2oxs) are a class of enzymes that inhibit the biosynthesis of bioactive GAs in plants. Although GA2oxs have clear roles in the development and defence responses in Arabidopsis, rice, and wheat, their potential effects on maize remain unclear. This study identified thirteen ZmGA2ox genes in maize and further characterized them using phylogenetic, gene structure, genomic locus, expression pattern analyses and GA content determination. Phylogenetic relationship analysis clearly divided the ZmGA2ox family into three groups—seven in C19-GA2ox class I, three in C19-GA2ox class II, and three in C20-GA2ox class. Evolutionary analysis suggested that ZmGA2ox1;1 and ZmGA2ox1;2, ZmGA2ox3;1 and ZmGA2ox3;2, and ZmGA2ox7;1 and ZmGA2ox7;2 are three pairs of segmental duplicated genes. Prediction of cis-regulatory elements in promoters suggested that ZmGA2ox genes were mainly associated with growth, development, hormones, and biotic/abiotic stress. Therefore, their spatial and temporal expression patterns and responses to various stress treatments were analysed on the basis of published RNA-seq data. Moreover, the changes of ZmGA2ox expression in leaves and roots of maize seedlings was detected under salt, alkali, dehydration, and cold stresses by qRT-PCR. The ZmGA2oxs exhibited obvious expression tendencies or characteristics in various organs under different abiotic stresses. The variations in the expression of three ZmGA2ox genes in the C20-GA2ox class in maize seedling roots showed significant regularity and a clear negative correlation with bioactive GA contents under cold and drought conditions, indicating that these three genes might exert key effects on the regulation of GA synthesis and the response to drought and cold stress. Taken together, this study is useful for further dissection of the effect of ZmGA2oxs on abiotic stress responses and might provide potential targets for the genetic improvement of maize.

Neurovascularization In Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Using Different Methods of Magnetic Resonance Perfusion

GA 2-oxidases (GA2oxs) are a class of enzymes that inhibit the biosynthesis of bioactive GAs in plants. Although GA2oxs have clear roles in the development and defence responses in Arabidopsis, rice, and wheat, their potential effects on maize remain unclear. This study identified thirteen ZmGA2ox genes in maize and further characterized them using phylogenetic, gene structure, genomic locus, expression pattern analyses and GA content determination. Phylogenetic relationship analysis clearly divided the ZmGA2ox family into three groups—seven in C19-GA2ox class I, three in C19-GA2ox class II, and three in C20-GA2ox class. Evolutionary analysis suggested that ZmGA2ox1;1 and ZmGA2ox1;2, ZmGA2ox3;1 and ZmGA2ox3;2, and ZmGA2ox7;1 and ZmGA2ox7;2 are three pairs of segmental duplicated genes. Prediction of cis-regulatory elements in promoters suggested that ZmGA2ox genes were mainly associated with growth, development, hormones, and biotic/abiotic stress. Therefore, their spatial and temporal expression patterns and responses to various stress treatments were analysed on the basis of published RNA-seq data. Moreover, the changes of ZmGA2ox expression in leaves and roots of maize seedlings was detected under salt, alkali, dehydration, and cold stresses by qRT-PCR. The ZmGA2oxs exhibited obvious expression tendencies or characteristics in various organs under different abiotic stresses. The variations in the expression of three ZmGA2ox genes in the C20-GA2ox class in maize seedling roots showed significant regularity and a clear negative correlation with bioactive GA contents under cold and drought conditions, indicating that these three genes might exert key effects on the regulation of GA synthesis and the response to drought and cold stress. Taken together, this study is useful for further dissection of the effect of ZmGA2oxs on abiotic stress responses and might provide potential targets for the genetic improvement of maize.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of HD-ZIP I Gene Subfamily in Nicotiana tabacum.

The homeodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) gene family, whose members play vital roles in plant growth and development, and participate in responding to various stresses, is an important class of transcription factors currently only found in plants. Although the HD-Zip gene family, especially the HD-Zip I subfamily, has been extensively studied in many plant species, the systematic report on HD-Zip I subfamily in cultivated tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) is lacking. In this study, 39 HD-Zip I genes were systematically identified in N. tabacum (Nt). Interestingly, that 64.5% of the 31 genes with definite chromosome location information were found to originate from N. tomentosoformis, one of the two ancestral species of allotetraploid N. tabacum. Phylogenetic analysis divided the NtHD-Zip I subfamily into eight clades. Analysis of gene structures showed that NtHD-Zip I proteins contained conserved homeodomain and leucine-zipper domains. Three-dimensional structure analysis revealed that most NtHD-Zip I proteins in each clade, except for those in clade η, share a similar structure to their counterparts in Arabidopsis. Prediction of cis-regulatory elements showed that a number of elements responding to abscisic acid and different abiotic stresses, including low temperature, drought, and salinity, existed in the promoter region of NtHD-Zip I genes. The prediction of Arabidopsis ortholog-based protein–protein interaction network implied that NtHD-Zip I proteins have complex connections. The expression profile of these genes showed that different NtHD-Zip I genes were highly expressed in different tissues and could respond to abscisic acid and low-temperature treatments. Our study provides insights into the evolution and expression patterns of NtHD-Zip I genes in N. tabacum and will be useful for further functional characterization of NtHD-Zip I genes in the future.

PlantPAN3.0: a new and updated resource for reconstructing transcriptional regulatory networks from ChIP-seq experiments in plants.

The Plant Promoter Analysis Navigator (PlantPAN; http://PlantPAN.itps.ncku.edu.tw/) is an effective resource for predicting regulatory elements and reconstructing transcriptional regulatory networks for plant genes. In this release (PlantPAN 3.0), 17 230 TFs were collected from 78 plant species. To explore regulatory landscapes, genomic locations of TFBSs have been captured from 662 public ChIP-seq samples using standard data processing. A total of 1 233 999 regulatory linkages were identified from 99 regulatory factors (TFs, histones and other DNA-binding proteins) and their target genes across seven species. Additionally, this new version added 2449 matrices extracted from ChIP-seq peaks for cis-regulatory element prediction. In addition to integrated ChIP-seq data, four major improvements were provided for more comprehensive information of TF binding events, including (i) 1107 experimentally verified TF matrices from the literature, (ii) gene regulation network comparison between two species, (iii) 3D structures of TFs and TF-DNA complexes and (iv) condition-specific co-expression networks of TFs and their target genes extended to four species. The PlantPAN 3.0 can not only be efficiently used to investigate critical cis- and trans-regulatory elements in plant promoters, but also to reconstruct high-confidence relationships among TF–targets under specific conditions.

Overexpression of LhSorNPR1, a NPR1-like gene from the oriental hybrid lily 'Sorbonne', conferred enhanced resistance to Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 in Arabidopsis.

The non-expressor of the pathogenesis-related genes 1 (NPR1) is a master regulator in defense signaling of plants and plays a key role in basal and systemic acquired resistance. In this study, we isolated a NPR1-like gene from the oriental hybrid lily 'Sorbonne' (designated as LhSorNPR1) using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE). The open reading frame of LhSorNPR1 consisted of 1854bp, encoding a protein of 617 amino acids. Multiple sequence alignment revealed that LhSorNPR1 shares high similarity to NPR1-like proteins and characteristics of the BTB/POZ domain and ankyrin repeats. A comparison between the intron/exon organization of LhSorNPR1 and orthologs from other plant species demonstrated that NPR1 genomic fragments (including LhSorNPR1) are all composed of 4 exons and 3 introns. We also identified sequence motifs involved in hormone response and binding sites for RAV1 proteins and WRKY transcription factors through the prediction of cis-regulatory elements in the LhSorNPR1 promoter. Our gene expression analysis showed that LhSorNPR1 transcript levels significantly differed in various tissues, and that LhSorNPR1 expressions were induced by sodium salicylate, ethephon, and methyl jasmonate. Furthermore, we transformed LhSorNPR1 into Col-0 wild-type Arabidopsis to conduct function analysis, and we observed enhanced resistance to the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 in the Arabidopsis expressing LhSorNPR1 gene. The enhanced disease resistance of LhSorNPR1 expressing plants could correlate to elevated expression levels in pathogenesis-related genes (PR1, PR2, and PR5) in vivo.

Prediction of cis-regulatory elements for a detailed insight of RuvB family genes from Oryza sativa

Cis-regulatory elements (CREs) present in promoter region of a gene, regulates gene expression at transcriptional level. Expression profiling and study of predicted CREs in promoter region which are responsive to various factors, is an approach to predict the role of a gene in stress management of plants and this information can be exploited for the agricultural importance. This study focused on RuvB gene family from rice, which is one of the highly conserved gene family and is scarcely studied in plants. Role of OsRuvB genes to various stress conditions was studied with the help of microarray expression profiling and in silico prediction of CREs present in promoter region of these genes by using various databases-PlantCARE, TENOR and PlantPAN. Study of OsRuvB gene family promoters showed a wide range of CREs involved in hormonal regulation, developmental stages, metabolic processes, temperature response, abiotic and biotic stress tolerance. These CREs were further functionally validated with the real-time analysis for transcript level of these genes under various stress conditions. This study of OsRuvB family CREs gave a detailed insight into the possible functions performed by this conserved family. Further study and research in this family may help to bring us a step forward in stress management study in plants and also provide an important target gene for the agricultural crop improvement.

Identification and analysis of the metacaspase gene family in tomato

Metacaspases play critical roles in developmentally regulated and environmentally induced programmed cell death in plants. In this study, we systematically identified and analyzed metacaspase gene family in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). The results illustrated that tomato possesses eight metacaspase genes (SlMC1−8) located on chromosomes 1, 3, 5, 9, and 10. SlMC1−6 belonged to type I metacaspases and had 5 exon/4 intron structures. SlMC7 and 8 were type II metacaspases and had 2 and 3 exons, respectively. Expression analysis revealed distinct expression patterns of SlMCs in various tomato tissues. Cis-regulatory element prediction showed that there were many hormone- and stress-related cis-regulatory elements in SlMCs promoter regions. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis further demonstrated that most of the SlMCs were regulated by drought, cold, salt, methyl viologen, and ethephon treatments. This study provides insights into the characteristics of SlMC genes and laid the foundation for further functional analysis of these genes in tomato.