Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the calmodulin-binding transcription activator (CAMTA) gene family in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

Background: Plant calmodulin-binding transcription activator (CAMTA) proteins play important roles in hormone signal transduction, developmental regulation, and environmental stress tolerance. However, in wheat, the CAMTA gene family has not been systematically characterized. Results: In this work, 15 wheat CAMTA genes were identified using a genome-wide search method. Their chromosome location, physicochemical properties, subcellular localization, gene structure, protein domain, and promoter cis-elements were systematically analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis classified the TaCAMTA genes into three groups (groups A, B, and C), numbered 7, 6, and 2, respectively. The results showed that most TaCAMTA genes contained stress-related cis-elements. Finally, to obtain tissue-specific and stress-responsive candidates, the expression profiles of the TaCAMTAs in various tissues and under biotic and abiotic stresses were investigated. Tissue-specific expression analysis showed that all of the 15 TaCAMTA genes were expressed in multiple tissues with different expression levels, as well as under abiotic stress, the expressions of each TaCAMTA gene could respond to at least one abiotic stress. It also found that 584 genes in wheat genome were predicted to be potential target genes by CAMTA, demonstrating that CAMTA can be widely involved in plant development and growth, as well as coping with stresses. Conclusions: This work systematically identified the CAMTA gene family in wheat at the whole-genome-wide level, providing important candidates for further functional analysis in developmental regulation and the stress response in wheat.

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the calmodulin-binding transcription activator (CAMTA) family genes in tea plant

“…For example, 6 AtCAMTAs have been reported to be quickly and differentially stimulated by various stresses and hormones [11,29,71,72]. Similarly, 9 ZmCAMTAs, 9 CiCAM-TAs, and 15 TaCAMTAs were respectively stimulated by various hormones, abiotic and biotic stresses [18,24,25]. It is now known that CAMTAs-regulated genes depend on Ca 2+ signals, the Ca 2+ -CaM-CAMTAs complexes could nonlinearly amplify different calcium signatures, and then the calcium signatures are decoded to produce specific CAMTA-regulated gene expression responses [73].…”

“…As a type of signal responsive proteins or ethyleneinduced CaM-binding proteins, CAMTAs are known as the largest and best characterized CaM-binding TFs [3]. Currently, numerous of CAMTAs have been identified from more than 20 kinds of plant species, such as maize [18], bananas [21], wheat [25], flax [27], Arabidopsis [59], etc. Further research found that CAMTAs were constituted with 6 highly conserved functional domains across the species, including nuclear localization signals (NLS), CG-1 domain, TIG domain, CaMBD, ANK repeat and IQ motif [12].…”

“…At present, it has been clear that the expressions of many CAMTAs in different plant species could be stimulated by various hormones, such as auxin, ABA, ethylene, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), and SA, etc. [18,24,25,31]. For example, CAMTA1-3 repressed the expressions of isochorismate synthase 1 (ICS1), CBP60g and SAR deficient 1 (SARD1), and thus inhibited SA biosynthesis in Arabidopsis under warm temperature condition [31].…”

“…Currently, lots of CAMTAs genes have been identified from different plant species, such as 6 AtCAMTAs from Arabidopsis [11], 10 VvCAMTAs from grape [19], 9 ZmCAMTAs from maize [18], 7 SlCAMTAs from tomato [20], 5 MaCAMTAs from banana [21], 7 MsCAMTAs from alfalfa [22], 9 LuCAMTAs from flax [23], 9 CsCAMTAs from citrus [24]. Among them, numerous CAMTAs have been shown to play great roles in the regulation of plant growth and development, hormones, biotic and abiotic stress responses, especially in low temperature responses [12,15,25,26]. Under cold condition, the increased Ca 2+ contents could promote the combination of CAMTAs with 'CCGAC' cis-acting element, and then induce the expressions of many downstream genes, thus rapidly respond to cold stress and enhance cold adaptability and tolerance of plants [24,27].…”

“…7 SlSR/CAMTAs of tomato showed differential expressions during fruit development and ripening [20]. In wheat genome, about 584 genes were predicted to contain ACG CGG /CCG CGT cis-acting elements in their promoter regions, suggesting that these genes could be considered as potential target genes of TaCAMTAs, which mainly participated in RNA regulation, protein degradation, signaling transduction, biotic and abiotic stresses, hormone metabolism, and lipid metabolism [25]. Similarly, many stress-related cis-acting elements also presented in the promoter regions of some ZmCAMTA genes, suggesting that ZmCAMTAs widely involved in stress responses.…”