Identification and Expression of SAUR Genes in the CAM Plant Agave

Abstract

Agave species are important crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants and widely cultivated in tropical areas for producing tequila spirit and fiber. The hybrid H11648 of Agave ((A. amaniensis × A. angustifolia) × A. amaniensis) is the main cultivar for fiber production in Brazil, China, and African countries. Small Auxin Up-regulated RNA (SAUR) genes have broad effect on auxin signaling-regulated plant growth and development, while only few SAUR genes have been reported in Agave species. In this study, we identified 43, 60, 24, and 21 SAUR genes with full-length coding regions in A. deserti, A. tequilana, A. H11648, and A. americana, respectively. Although phylogenetic analysis revealed that rice contained a species-specific expansion pattern of SAUR gene, no similar phenomena were observed in Agave species. The in silico expression indicated that SAUR genes had a distinct expression pattern in A. H11648 compared with other Agave species; and four SAUR genes were differentially expressed during CAM diel cycle in A. americana. Additionally, an expression analysis was conducted to estimate SAUR gene expression during different leaf developmental stages, abiotic and biotic stresses in A. H11648. Together, we first characterized the SAUR genes of Agave based on previously published transcriptome datasets and emphasized the potential functions of SAUR genes in Agave’s leaf development and stress responses. The identification of which further expands our understanding on auxin signaling-regulated plant growth and development in Agave species.

Grape Small Auxin Upregulated RNA (SAUR) 041 Is a Candidate Regulator of Berry Size in Grape

“…The localization of proteins is closely related to their functions. Previous studies showed that SAUR may be located in a variety of structures such as the nucleus, cytoplasm, mitochondria, chloroplast, and plasma membrane [ 52 , 53 ]. In this study, VvSAUR041 was located in the cytoplasm, and it is speculated that it can regulate the plant life activities.…”

Phylogeny and Expression Atlas of the NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1/PEPTIDE TRANSPORTER FAMILY in Agave

“…Shoot and root samples were collected from seedlings after one month of being cultured in Hoagland nutrient solution [ 44 ]. The samples of leaf development, abiotic and biotic stresses were collected according to a previous study [ 23 ]. The details were as follows.…”

“…However, the molecular basis of nitrogen transport and allocation has not been well studied in agave [ 22 ]. In China, the most widely cultivated Agave species is Agave hybrid H11648 (( A. amaniensis × A. angustifolia ) × A. amaniensis ), with a main purpose of sisal fiber production [ 23 ]. It is of great importance to reveal the mechanism of nitrogen transport and allocation in the leaf, which is both a vegetative and harvestable organ.…”

“…It is very challenging to sequence and assemble the large agave genomes [ 24 ]. Agave hybrid H11648 has been proved to have a high tolerance to heavy metals such as copper (Cu) and lead (Pb) [ 23 ]. Additionally, there are two main abiotic/biotic stresses during agave cultivation, including chill and zebra disease caused by Phytophthora nicotianae Breda [ 19 ].…”

Caracterización in silico y análisis de la expresión expresión génica de proteínas abundantes en la embriogénesis tardía de Agave tequilana Weber var. azul

“…Se han descrito las adaptaciones morfofisiológicas que poseen como plantas suculentas para evitar la pérdida excesiva de agua, desde su gruesa cutícula hasta su metabolismo CAM (Nobel & Smith 1983, Nobel & Valenzuela 1987. Sin embargo, a pesar de que durante la pasada década transcriptomas de varias especies de agaves se han secuenciado (Gross et al 2013, Cervantes-Pérez et al 2018, Sarwar et al 2019, existen pocos estudios enfocados a conocer las bases moleculares de su tolerancia al estrés abiótico (Luján et al 2009, Deng et al 2019, Shakeel et al 2013. Conocer dichas bases permitirá una mejor comprensión de su fisiología a nivel molecular, así como de las estrategias evolutivas de este género; herramientas necesarias para el mejoramiento genético.…”