Journal Article

Genome-wide identification and analysis of abiotic stress responsiveness of the mitogen-activated protein kinase gene family in Medicago sativa L

Liu, Hao, Kang, Junmei, Li, Mingna, Wang, Shiqing, Chen, Lin, Zhu, Lihua, Li, Xianyang, He, Fei, Zhao, Guoqing, Zi, Yunfei, Hong, Ling, Yang, Qingchuan, Long, Ruicai

2024

Overview

Background The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is crucial cell signal transduction mechanism that plays an important role in plant growth and development, metabolism, and stress responses. The MAPK cascade includes three protein kinases, MAPK, MAPKK, and MAPKKK. The three protein kinases mediate signaling to downstream response molecules by sequential phosphorylation. The MAPK gene family has been identified and analyzed in many plants, however it has not been investigated in alfalfa. Results In this study, Medicago sativa MAPK genes (referred to as MsMAPKs) were identified in the tetraploid alfalfa genome. Eighty MsMAPKs were divided into four groups, with eight in group A, 21 in group B, 21 in group C and 30 in group D. Analysis of the basic structures of the MsMAPKs revealed presence of a conserved TXY motif. Groups A, B and C contained a TEY motif, while group D contained a TDY motif. RNA-seq analysis revealed tissue-specificity of two MsMAPKs and tissue-wide expression of 35 MsMAPKs . Further analysis identified MsMAPK members responsive to drought, salt, and cold stress conditions. Two MsMAPKs ( MsMAPK70 and MsMAPK75 ) responds to salt and cold stresses; two MsMAPKs ( MsMAPK60 and MsMAPK73 ) responds to cold and drought stresses; four MsMAPKs ( MsMAPK1 , MsMAPK33 , MsMAPK64 and MsMAPK71 ) responds to salt and drought stresses; and two MsMAPKs ( MsMAPK5 and MsMAPK7) responded to all three stresses. Conclusion This study comprehensively identified and analysed the alfalfa MAPK gene family. Candidate genes related to abiotic stresses were screened by analysing the RNA-seq data. The results provide key information for further analysis of alfalfa MAPK gene functions and improvement of stress tolerance.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Abiotic stress / Abiotic stress response / Abiotic stress tolerance in plants / Acids / Agriculture / Alfalfa / Biomedical and Life Sciences / Botanical research / Cellular stress response / Chromosomes / cold / cold stress / Drought / Droughts / Ecosystem components / Environmental aspects / family / Gene expression / Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Genes / Genetic aspects / Genome, Plant / Genome-wide analysis / Genomes / Genomic analysis / growth and development / Identification and classification / Kinases / Life Sciences / Localization / MAP kinase / Medicago sativa / Medicago sativa - enzymology / Medicago sativa - genetics / Medicago sativa - physiology / Medicago sativa L / metabolism / mitogen-activated protein kinase / Mitogen-activated protein kinases / Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - genetics / Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases - metabolism / MsMAPK gene family / Multigene Family / Phosphorylation / Phylogenetics / Phylogeny / Physiological aspects / Plant genetics / Plant growth / Plant Proteins - genetics / Plant Proteins - metabolism / Plant Sciences / Protein turnover / Proteins / Ribonucleic acid / RNA / Salts / sequence analysis / Signal transduction / Stress (Physiology) / stress tolerance / Stress, Physiological - genetics / Stresses / tetraploidy / Tissue-specific expression / Transcription factors / Tree Biology