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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2022, Vol. 58 ›› Issue (2): 133-147.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.20220214

• Research papers • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Identification of the PbWRKY Gene Family and Its Expression Analysis under Deficiency of Phosphorus in Phoebe bournei

Miao Zhang1,Shengcai Zhou2,Mengjie Wu1,Zaikang Tong1,Xiao Han1,Junhong Zhang1,Longjun Cheng1,*   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Subtropical Silviculture College of Forestry and Biotechnology, Zhejiang A & F University Hangzhou 311300
    2. Lishui Vocational & Technical College Lishui 323000
  • Received:2021-03-15 Online:2022-02-25 Published:2022-04-26
  • Contact: Longjun Cheng

Abstract:

Objective: The WRKY transcription factor gene family members were identified in the whole genome of Phoebe bournei. Gene structure and protein sequences of them were characterized and their expression was analyzed under phosphorus deficiency. Then, PbWRKY members that were involved in phosphorus starvation response were screened. The result will give information to further study their function in the molecular mechanism of phosphorus deficiency stress and provide foundation to molecular assisted breeding for tolerance to low phosphorus in Phoebe. Method: The hidden Markov model (pfam03106) of WRKY protein sequence were used to search PbWRKY protein sequence from protein database of P. bournei. Then, the chromosome localization, gene structure, protein sequences and phylogenetic tree of PbWRKYs were analyzed by Protaram, GSDS2.0, MEGA, Batch CD-search, TBtools and ClustalX software. Tissue-specific expression was analyzed based on transcriptome sequence data of roots, phloem and cambium, xylem and mature leaves of 3-year-old P. bournei plants. And, six-month-old seedlings were planted in phosphorus deficiency solution. After 60 days, the leaves and roots of phosphorus deficiency treatment and control were harvested for phosphorus content measuring and transcriptome sequencing. The expression of PbWRKY genes under phosphorus deficiency were analyzed, and the PbWRKY genes expressed differentially were verified by qPCR. Result: 68 WRKY genes, named PbWRKY1-68, were identified in P. bournei. They were distributed on all chromosomes of P. bournei and the most were on chromosome 3. All the PbWRKYs had introns, the number of them ranged from 1 to 28. The molecular weight of them from 19.09 to 115.56 kDa. Each PbWRKY had 1 or 2 WRKY domains and a specific zinc finger motif. Based on the number of WRKY domain and the type of zinc finger structure, PbWRKYs can be divided into 3 subclasses. Subclass Ⅰ contained 2 WRKY domains and 1 C2H2 type of zinc finger, and 14 genes were included in it. There were 47 genes in subclass Ⅱ which had 1 WRKY domains and 1 C2H2 type of zinc finger. And phylogenetic analysis showed this subclass can be classified into 5 subgroups: Ⅱa, Ⅱb, Ⅱc, Ⅱd, Ⅱe, but PbWRKY37 didn't belong to any subgroup above according to the phylogenetic tree although it was a gene of subclass Ⅱ. Subclass Ⅲ contained a WRKY domain and a C2HC type of zinc finger, a total of 7 genes. Most of WRKY domain sequence in PbWRKYs were "WRKYGQK", but it was "WRKYGKK" in PbWRKY62. Tissue-specific expression analysis showed five expression patterns of PbWRKYs were found in different tissues: low expression in phloem and cambium, high expression in xylem but low expression in leaves, high expression in phloem and cambium and low expression in leaves, high expression in roots, and high expression in leaves but low expression in roots. And some of the WRKY genes which closely related had similar tissue-specific expression, suggesting their functions possibly correlated. After 60 days of phosphorus deficiency treatment, 21 PbWRKY genes expressed differently more than 2 folds in leaves and roots compared to the control. All the 21 PbWRKY genes were strongly induced in leaves, implying that they possibly participated in the transportation and distribution of phosphorus in leaves under low phosphorus condition. Among them, the expressions of PbWRKY52, PbWRKY55, PbWRKY56, PbWRKY65 and PbWRKY66 were also inhibited in roots, suggesting that they also may be involved in the transportation of phosphorus in roots simultaneously. Conclusion: There were 68 PbWRKY genes in Phoebe bournei. The WRKY domain sequence of them was very conservative and the variation was very low. 21 PbWRKY genes were involved in the response to phosphorus deficiency after 60 days of phosphorus starvation treatment, and most of them were involved in the transportation and distribution of phosphorus in leaves when plants faced phosphorus starvation. However, PbWRKY52, PbWRKY55, PbWRKY56, PbWRKY65 and PbWRKY66 possibly not only played a role in leaves, but also participated in the absorption and transportation of phosphorus in roots under phosphorus deficiency stress.

Key words: Phoebe bournei, WRKY transcription factor, gene expression, phosphorus deficiency

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