Pan-genome Analysis of <i>WOX</i> Gene Family and Function Exploration of <i>CsWOX9</i> in Cucumber
Cucumber is an economically important vegetable crop, and the warts (composed of spines and Tubercules) of cucumber fruit are an important quality trait that influences its commercial value. WOX transcription factors are known to have pivotal roles in regulating various aspects of plant growth and d...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-12-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/24/24/17568 |
| Summary: | Cucumber is an economically important vegetable crop, and the warts (composed of spines and Tubercules) of cucumber fruit are an important quality trait that influences its commercial value. WOX transcription factors are known to have pivotal roles in regulating various aspects of plant growth and development, but their studies in cucumber are limited. Here, genome-wide identification of cucumber <i>WOX</i> genes was performed using the pan-genome analysis of 12 cucumber varieties. Our findings revealed diverse <i>CsWOX</i> genes in different cucumber varieties, with variations observed in protein sequences and lengths, gene structure, and conserved protein domains, possibly resulting from the divergent evolution of <i>CsWOX</i> genes as they adapt to diverse cultivation and environmental conditions. Expression profiles of the <i>CsWOX</i> genes demonstrated that <i>CsWOX9</i> was significantly expressed in unexpanded ovaries, especially in the epidermis. Additionally, analysis of the <i>CsWOX9</i> promoter revealed two binding sites for the C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>2</sub> zinc finger protein. We successfully executed a yeast one-hybrid assay (Y1H) and a dual-luciferase (LUC) transaction assay to demonstrate that <i>CsWOX9</i> can be transcriptionally activated by the C<sub>2</sub>H<sub>2</sub> zinc finger protein Tu, which is crucial for fruit Tubercule formation in cucumber. Overall, our results indicated that <i>CsWOX9</i> is a key component of the molecular network that regulates wart formation in cucumber fruits, and provide further insight into the function of <i>CsWOX</i> genes in cucumber. |
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| ISSN: | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |