Genome-wide investigation of Hydroxycinnamoyl CoA: Shikimate Hydroxycinnamoyl Transferase (HCT) gene family in Carthamus tinctorius L.

Abstract

Hydroxycinnamoyl-CoA: shikimate hydroxycinnamoyl transferase (HCT) is mainly associated with monolignol biosynthesis, a central precursor to producing guaiacyl and syringyl lignins in plants. However, the explicit regulatory mechanism of HCT-mediated monolignol biosynthesis in plants still remained unclear. Here, the genome-wide analysis of the HCT gene family in Carthamus tinctorius as a target for understanding growth, development, and stress-responsive mechanisms was investigated. A total of 82 CtHCT genes were identified and characterized. Most of the CtHCTs proteins demonstrated the presence of two common conserved domains, including HXXXD and DFGWG. In addition, the conserved structure of protein motifs, PPI network, cis-regulatory units, and gene structure analysis demonstrated several genetic determinants reflecting the wide range of functional diversity of CtHCT-encoding genes. The observed expression analysis of CtHCT genes in different flowering stages under normal conditions partially highlighted their putative roles in plant growth and development pathways. Moreover, CtHCT genes appeared to be associated with abiotic stress responses as validated by the expression profiling in various flowering phases under light irradiation and MeJA treatment. Altogether, these findings provide new insights into identifying crucial molecular targets associated with plant growth and development and present practical information for understanding abiotic stress-responsive mechanisms in plants.

Uncovering the Role of Hydroxycinnamoyl Transferase in Boosting Chlorogenic Acid Accumulation in Carthamus tinctorius Cells under Methyl Jasmonate Elicitation

“…For instance, transcriptomic analysis revealed that the HCT genes were significantly up-regulated in C. tinctorius inflorescences treated with MeJA, indicating their potential involvement in the process of MeJA-induced flavonoid accumulation in the inflorescences [ 11 ]. Furthermore, a series of HCT genes were identified in the C. tinctorius genome using the Hidden Markov Model, and their expression patterns were analyzed in MeJA-treated flowers at different developmental stages, revealing structural and expression differences among them [ 34 ]. However, the aforementioned studies were limited to transcriptomic or bioinformatic analyses and did not further validate the functions of the identified HCT genes in C. tinctorius .…”

Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis to Explore Hub Genes of Resveratrol Biosynthesis in Exocarp and Mesocarp of ‘Summer Black’ Grape

“…Yang, Min et al showed that 31 unigenes encoded 15 key enzymes, mainly related to flavonoid biosynthesis, and HCT was one of them [ 61 ]. Fan S et al found that the CtHCT gene appeared to be associated with abiotic stress response through expression profiling of different flowering stages under light and MeJA treatment [ 62 ]. Jim et al found that PtoHCT9 and PtoHCT10 are active in winter and play a role in plant development and response to cold stress [ 63 ].…”

TALE gene family: identification, evolutionary and expression analysis under various exogenous hormones and waterlogging stress in Cucumis sativus L.

“…SAM production was shown to be significantly inhibited by a mutation in the STM ( SHOOTMERISTEMLESS ) [ 3 ]. KNAT7 played a role in secondary cell wall biosynthesis [ 8 , 9 ]. Cotton fiber synthesis is controlled by GhKNL1, a member of the TALE family [ 10 ].…”