Identification, expression, and functional analysis of Hsf and Hsp20 gene families in Brachypodium distachyon under heat stress

Abstract

Background The heat shock factor (Hsf) and small heat shock protein (sHsp, also called Hsp20) complex has been identified as a primary component in the protection of plant cells from ubiquitous stresses, particularly heat stress. Our study aimed to characterize and analyze the Hsf and Hsp genes in Brachypodium distachyon, an annual temperate grass and model plant in cereal and grass studies. Results We identified 24 Hsf and 18 Hsp20 genes in B. distachyon and explored their evolution in gene organization, sequence features, chromosomal localization, and gene duplication. Our phylogenetic analysis showed that BdHsfs could be divided into three categories and BdHsp20s into ten subfamilies. Further analysis showed that the 3’UTR length of BdHsp20 genes had a negative relationship with their expression under heat stress. Expression analyses indicated that BdHsp20s and BdHsfs were strongly and rapidly induced by high-temperature treatment. Additionally, we constructed a complex regulatory network based on their expression patterns under heat stress. Morphological analysis suggested that the overexpression of five BdHsp20 genes enhanced the seed germination rate and decreased cell death under high temperatures. Conclusion Ultimately, our study provided important evolutionary and functional characterizations for future research on the regulatory mechanisms of BdHsp20s and BdHsfs in herbaceous plants under environmental stress.

Genome‐wide identification of heat shock transcription factor families in perennial ryegrass highlights the role of LpHSFC2b in heat stress response

“…The number of HSF family genes varies widely among plants. There are 17 HSF genes in Jatropha curcas (Zhang et al, 2020), 21 HSF genes in Arabidopsis (Nover et al, 2001), 23 HSF genes in Hordeum vulgare (Mishra et al, 2020), 24 HSF genes in brachypodium (Li, Jiang, et al, 2021a), 25 HSF genes in rice (Guo et al, 2008), 30 HSF genes in Phaseolus vulgaris (Zhang et al, 2022), 32 HSF genes in Coriandrum sativum (Pei et al, 2021), 64 HSF genes in Brassica napus (Zhu et al, 2017), and 78 HSF genes in Triticum aestivum (Zhou et al, 2019). In this study, a total of 25 HSF genes were identified in perennial ryegrass, and all HSF proteins had DBD, OD, and NLS conserved domains (Table 1).…”

Genome-wide analysis of HSP20 gene family and expression patterns under heat stress in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

“…The Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database (FAOSTAT) shows that cucumber is widely cultivated in the world and its cultivated area is next only to that of tomato and onion (FAOSTAT, 2022). HSP20 plays a crucial role in extreme temperatures (Peffer et al, 2019;Wu et al, 2019;Cui et al, 2021;Li et al, 2021;Sun et al, 2022;Zhou et al, 2022). Therefore, it is very necessary to study the roles of CsHSP20 genes under high temperature.…”