Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the <i>SWEET</i> Gene Family in Annual Alfalfa (<i>Medicago polymorpha</i>)
SWEET (Sugars will eventually be exported transporter) proteins are a group of sugar transporters that are involved in sugar efflux, phloem loading, reproductive development, plant senescence, and stress responses. In this study, 23 SWEET transporter members were identified in the <i>Medicago...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-05-01
|
| Series: | Plants |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/10/1948 |
| _version_ | 1797598577324720128 |
|---|---|
| author | Nana Liu Zhenwu Wei Xueyang Min Linghua Yang Youxin Zhang Jiaqing Li Yuwei Yang |
| author_facet | Nana Liu Zhenwu Wei Xueyang Min Linghua Yang Youxin Zhang Jiaqing Li Yuwei Yang |
| author_sort | Nana Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | SWEET (Sugars will eventually be exported transporter) proteins are a group of sugar transporters that are involved in sugar efflux, phloem loading, reproductive development, plant senescence, and stress responses. In this study, 23 SWEET transporter members were identified in the <i>Medicago polymorpha</i> genome, heterogeneously distributed on seven chromosomes. These <i>MpSWEET</i> genes were divided into four subfamilies, which showed similar gene structure and motif composition within the same subfamily. Seventeen <i>MpSWEET</i> genes encode seven transmembrane helices (TMHs), and all MpSWEET proteins possess conserved membrane domains and putative serine phosphorylation sites. Four and three pairs of <i>MpSWEET</i> genes were predicted to be segmentally and tandemly duplicated, respectively, which may have contributed to their evolution of <i>M. polymorpha</i>. The results of microarray and RNA-Seq data showed that some <i>MpSWEET</i> genes were specifically expressed in disparate developmental stages (including seedling stage, early flowering stage, and late flowering stage) or tissues such as flower and large pod. Based on protein network interaction and expression patterns of <i>MpSWEET</i> genes, six <i>MpSWEET</i> genes were selected for further quantitative real-time PCR validation in different stress treatments. qRT-PCR results showed that <i>MpSWEET05</i>, <i>MpSWEET07</i>, <i>MpSWEET12</i>, <i>MpSWEET15</i>, and <i>MpSWEET21</i> were significantly upregulated for at least two of the three abiotic stress treatments. These findings provide new insights into the complex transcriptional regulation of <i>MpSWEET</i> genes, which facilitates future research to elucidate the function of <i>MpSWEET</i> genes in <i>M. polymorpha</i> and other legume crops. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:23:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1fba5c8308514dc89f7cbcdf8bdb100b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T03:23:07Z |
| publishDate | 2023-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-1fba5c8308514dc89f7cbcdf8bdb100b2023-11-18T02:55:27ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472023-05-011210194810.3390/plants12101948Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the <i>SWEET</i> Gene Family in Annual Alfalfa (<i>Medicago polymorpha</i>)Nana Liu0Zhenwu Wei1Xueyang Min2Linghua Yang3Youxin Zhang4Jiaqing Li5Yuwei Yang6College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaCollege of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, ChinaSWEET (Sugars will eventually be exported transporter) proteins are a group of sugar transporters that are involved in sugar efflux, phloem loading, reproductive development, plant senescence, and stress responses. In this study, 23 SWEET transporter members were identified in the <i>Medicago polymorpha</i> genome, heterogeneously distributed on seven chromosomes. These <i>MpSWEET</i> genes were divided into four subfamilies, which showed similar gene structure and motif composition within the same subfamily. Seventeen <i>MpSWEET</i> genes encode seven transmembrane helices (TMHs), and all MpSWEET proteins possess conserved membrane domains and putative serine phosphorylation sites. Four and three pairs of <i>MpSWEET</i> genes were predicted to be segmentally and tandemly duplicated, respectively, which may have contributed to their evolution of <i>M. polymorpha</i>. The results of microarray and RNA-Seq data showed that some <i>MpSWEET</i> genes were specifically expressed in disparate developmental stages (including seedling stage, early flowering stage, and late flowering stage) or tissues such as flower and large pod. Based on protein network interaction and expression patterns of <i>MpSWEET</i> genes, six <i>MpSWEET</i> genes were selected for further quantitative real-time PCR validation in different stress treatments. qRT-PCR results showed that <i>MpSWEET05</i>, <i>MpSWEET07</i>, <i>MpSWEET12</i>, <i>MpSWEET15</i>, and <i>MpSWEET21</i> were significantly upregulated for at least two of the three abiotic stress treatments. These findings provide new insights into the complex transcriptional regulation of <i>MpSWEET</i> genes, which facilitates future research to elucidate the function of <i>MpSWEET</i> genes in <i>M. polymorpha</i> and other legume crops.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/10/1948<i>Medicago polymorpha</i>SWEETphylogenetic evolutionexpression analysisabiotic stress |
| spellingShingle | Nana Liu Zhenwu Wei Xueyang Min Linghua Yang Youxin Zhang Jiaqing Li Yuwei Yang Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the <i>SWEET</i> Gene Family in Annual Alfalfa (<i>Medicago polymorpha</i>) Plants <i>Medicago polymorpha</i> SWEET phylogenetic evolution expression analysis abiotic stress |
| title | Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the <i>SWEET</i> Gene Family in Annual Alfalfa (<i>Medicago polymorpha</i>) |
| title_full | Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the <i>SWEET</i> Gene Family in Annual Alfalfa (<i>Medicago polymorpha</i>) |
| title_fullStr | Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the <i>SWEET</i> Gene Family in Annual Alfalfa (<i>Medicago polymorpha</i>) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the <i>SWEET</i> Gene Family in Annual Alfalfa (<i>Medicago polymorpha</i>) |
| title_short | Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the <i>SWEET</i> Gene Family in Annual Alfalfa (<i>Medicago polymorpha</i>) |
| title_sort | genome wide identification and expression analysis of the i sweet i gene family in annual alfalfa i medicago polymorpha i |
| topic | <i>Medicago polymorpha</i> SWEET phylogenetic evolution expression analysis abiotic stress |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/10/1948 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nanaliu genomewideidentificationandexpressionanalysisoftheisweetigenefamilyinannualalfalfaimedicagopolymorphai AT zhenwuwei genomewideidentificationandexpressionanalysisoftheisweetigenefamilyinannualalfalfaimedicagopolymorphai AT xueyangmin genomewideidentificationandexpressionanalysisoftheisweetigenefamilyinannualalfalfaimedicagopolymorphai AT linghuayang genomewideidentificationandexpressionanalysisoftheisweetigenefamilyinannualalfalfaimedicagopolymorphai AT youxinzhang genomewideidentificationandexpressionanalysisoftheisweetigenefamilyinannualalfalfaimedicagopolymorphai AT jiaqingli genomewideidentificationandexpressionanalysisoftheisweetigenefamilyinannualalfalfaimedicagopolymorphai AT yuweiyang genomewideidentificationandexpressionanalysisoftheisweetigenefamilyinannualalfalfaimedicagopolymorphai |