Comprehensive Analysis of GH3 Gene Family in Potato and Functional Characterization of StGH3.3 under Drought Stress

Abstract

As an important hormone response gene, Gretchen Hagen 3 (GH3) maintains hormonal homeostasis by conjugating excess auxin with amino acids during plant stress-related signaling pathways. GH3 genes have been characterized in many plant species, but they are rarely reported in potato. Here, 19 StGH3 genes were isolated and characterized. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that StGH3s were divided into two categories (group I and group III). Analyses of gene structure and motif composition showed that the members of a specific StGH3 subfamily are relatively conserved. Collinearity analysis of StGH3 genes in potato and other plants laid a foundation for further exploring the evolutionary characteristics of the StGH3 genes. Promoter analysis showed that most StGH3 promoters contained hormone and abiotic stress response elements. Multiple transcriptome studies indicated that some StGH3 genes were responsive to ABA, water deficits, and salt treatments. Moreover, qRT-PCR analysis indicated that StGH3 genes could be induced by phytohormones (ABA, SA, and MeJA) and abiotic stresses (water deficit, high salt, and low temperature), although with different patterns. Furthermore, transgenic tobacco with transient overexpression of the StGH3.3 gene showed positive regulation in response to water deficits by increasing proline accumulation and reducing the leaf water loss rate. These results suggested that StGH3 genes may be involved in the response to abiotic stress through hormonal signal pathways. Overall, this study provides useful insights into the evolution and function of StGH3s and lays a foundation for further study on the molecular mechanisms of StGH3s in the regulation of potato drought resistance.

Drought and salt stress mitigation in crop plants using stress-tolerant auxin-producing endophytic bacteria: a futuristic approach towards sustainable agriculture

“…GH3 enzymes add amino acid residues to free IAA molecules, forming conjugates that reduce the pool of active auxin available for signaling. Numerous studies have demonstrated that under drought stress conditions, the expression of these genes is upregulated ( Yuan et al., 2013 ; Feng et al., 2015 ; Singh et al., 2015 ; Yao et al., 2023 ). For instance, in Arabidopsis, an activation-tagged wes1-D dwarf mutant exhibits a 44.6% reduction in free IAA levels, accompanied by a 621% increase in IAA-Asp conjugates under abiotic stress.…”