Journal Article

Genome-wide identification of the expansin gene family reveals that expansin genes are involved in fibre cell growth in cotton

Zuo, Dong-Yun, Lv, Li-Min, Song, Guo-Li, Wang, Xing-Fen, Ma, Zhi-Ying, Zhang, You-Ping, Cheng, Hai-Liang, Wang, Qiao-Lian

2020

Overview

Background Expansins ( EXPs ), a group of proteins that loosen plant cell walls and cellulosic materials, are involved in regulating cell growth and diverse developmental processes in plants. However, the biological functions of this gene family in cotton are still unknown. Results In this paper, we identified a total of 93 expansin genes in Gossypium hirsutum . These genes were classified into four subfamilies, including 67 GhEXPAs , 8 GhEXPBs , 6 GhEXLAs , and 12 GhEXLBs , and divided into 15 subgroups. The 93 expansin genes are distributed over 24 chromosomes, excluding Ghir_A02 and Ghir_D06. All GhEXP genes contain multiple exons, and each GhEXP protein has multiple conserved motifs. Transcript profiling and qPCR analysis revealed that the expansin genes have distinct expression patterns among different stages of cotton fibre development. Among them, 3 genes ( GhEXPA4o , GhEXPA1A , and GhEXPA8h ) were highly expressed in the initiation stage, 9 genes ( GhEXPA4a , GhEXPA13a , GhEXPA4f , GhEXPA4q , GhEXPA8f , GhEXPA2 , GhEXPA8g , GhEXPA8a , and GhEXPA4n ) had high expression during the fast elongation stage, and GhEXLA1c and GhEXLA1f were preferentially expressed in the transition stage of fibre development. Conclusions Our results provide a solid basis for further elucidation of the biological functions of expansin genes in relation to cotton fibre development and valuable genetic resources for future crop improvement.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Agriculture / Amino acids / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Cell growth / Cell Wall - genetics / Cell Wall - metabolism / Cell walls / cellulosic materials / Chromosomes / Cotton / Cotton fibers / Crop improvement / Developmental stages / Elongation / Exons / Expansins / Fibre / Gene expression / Gene expression profiles / Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Gene family / Genes / Genes, Plant / Genetic resources / Genome, Plant / Genomes / Genomics / Genomics and evolution / Gossypium - genetics / Gossypium - growth & development / Gossypium - metabolism / Gossypium hirsutum / Growth / Life Sciences / lint cotton / messenger RNA / Multigene Family / Peptides / Phylogenetics / Plant Proteins - genetics / Plant Proteins - metabolism / Plant Sciences / Proteins / quantitative polymerase chain reaction / Research Article / Subgroups / Transcription / transcriptomics / Tree Biology