Genome-Wide Analysis of UGT Genes in Petunia and Identification of PhUGT51 Involved in the Regulation of Salt Resistance

Abstract

UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT) plays an essential role in regulating the synthesis of hormones and secondary metabolites in plants. In this study, 129 members of the Petunia UGT family were identified and classified into 16 groups (A–P) based on phylogenetic analysis. The same subgroups have conserved motif compositions and intron/exon arrangement. In the promoters of the Petunia UGT genes, several cis-elements associated with plant hormones, growth and development, and abiotic stress have been discovered. Their expression profiles in five tissues were revealed by tissue expression based on RNA-seq data. Subcellular localization analysis showed that PhUGT51 was located in the nucleus and cell membrane. Salt stress caused an increase in the expression level of PhUGT51, but the expression level remained stable with the growth over time. In addition, the overexpression of PhUGT51 caused a significant increase in salt resistance. Our study systematically analyses the UGT gene family in Petunia for the first time and provides some valuable clues for the further functional studies of UGT genes.

Genome-wide investigation of UDP-Glycosyltransferase family in Tartary buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum)

“…2A). Notably, the proportion of FtUGTs without introns (70, 40.5%) was found to be similar to that observed in other plant species, such as Linum usitatissimum (40.1%) [20], Petunia (44.2%) [57], and cassava (47.1%) [58]. Given that genes lacking introns do not require extensive post-transcriptional and post-translational modification [59,60], they can rapidly and continuously produce functional proteins, resulting in their quick response to stress.…”

Genome-Wide Analysis and Identification of UDP Glycosyltransferases Responsive to Chinese Wheat Mosaic Virus Resistance in Nicotiana benthamiana

“…Since then, numerous studies have been conducted on plant UGT genes, particularly in food crops, medicinal plants, fruits, and flavonoid-rich plants such as Rhodiola sachalinensis , Ginkgo biloba , and strawberry. However, most reports focused on the identification of UGT genes and their role in plant growth and development, fruit quality, or adaptation to abiotic stress [ 58 , 59 , 60 , 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 ]. In-depth studies have been conducted on some model crops, such as rice, Arabidopsis thaliana , tomato, and the phenomenon and mechanism of some UGT genes responding to pathogens have been elucidated [ 55 , 65 , 66 ].…”

Integration of GWAS and RNA-Seq Analysis to Identify SNPs and Candidate Genes Associated with Alkali Stress Tolerance at the Germination Stage in Mung Bean

“…UGTs, which facilitate glycosylation by catalyzing the transfer of uridine 5′-diphospho sugars to specific receptor molecules [ 75 , 76 ], including all major classes of plant secondary metabolites and plant hormones [ 77 ], mitigate the effects of oxidative stress under various abiotic stresses [ 78 ]. UGT85A5 [ 75 ], UGT84A4 [ 79 ], CrUGT87A1 [ 80 ], and PhUGT51 [ 81 ] were identified as playing a role in the regulation of salt resistance, of which CrUGT87A1 is involved in salt tolerance as a result of increasing flavonoid accumulation [ 80 ]. In addition, AtUGT79B2 and AtUGT79B3 could improve the tolerance to chilling damage through increasing the anthocyanin accumulation [ 82 ], and NtUGT127 and NtUGT245 might respond to drought stress by modulating the flavonoid content [ 76 ].…”