Genome-Wide Analysis of the MADS-Box Gene Family in Foxtail Millet (Setaria Italica L.) and Expression Analyses to Reveal Their Role During Drought Stress

Abstract

MADS-box gene family is a key regulatory factor family, which controls vegetative growth, reproductive development and can be used to mediate abiotic stresses in many plants. However, Knowledge of this gene family is still limited in Setaria italica. In the present study, a total of 70 SitMADS genes were identified and renamed on the basis of the chromosomal distribution of the SitMADS genes. According to gene structure, conserved motif and phylogenetic feature, the 70 SitMADSs were classified into type-Ⅰ (Mα, Mβ, Mγ) and type-Ⅱ (MIKCC and MIKC*). All of the SitMADS genes were randomly distributed on nine chromosomes, and five tandem duplicated genes and 12 pairs of duplicated gene segments were detected in the SitMADS genes family. Synteny analysis provided a high homology between SitMADS genes and OsMADS genes. A cis-element analysis inferred that SitMADS genes, except for SitMADS23, possessed at least one drought stress response and ABA(Abscisic Acid)-induced response cis-element. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis was used to detect the expression patterns of SitMADS genes in various tissues and demonstrated that the genes responded drought stress and ABA treatments. SitMADS23, SitMADS42, SitMADS51, SitMADS52, SitMADS58 and SitMADS64 were highly expressed in PEG(Polyethylene glycol) and drought stress, which suggested its important role in drought stress response. SitMADS51, SitMADS63 and SitMADS64 seemed to be responsive to ABA hormone signaling, suggesting that they were involved in the ABA signaling pathways. This paper provided a deep insight into the evolutionary characteristics of SitMADS genes. The results provide comprehensive information for further analyses of the molecular functions of the MADS-box gene family in Setaria italica.

Identification and bioinformatics analysis of MADS-box family genes containing K-box domain in maize

“…Studies have found that MADS-box gene is involved in a variety of hormone processes, indicating that plant hormones regulate MADS-box gene in a variety of ways, and there may be synergism or antagonism among different plant hormones Song et al, 2023). At present, the regulatory role of MADS-box in some plant hormones (such as ABA, BR) and drought stress signal transduction has been proved (Duan et al, 2006;Shao et al, 2010;Ma, 2022), but its role in other hormones and stress signal transduction has not been reported. At the same time, the presence of a response element in the MADS-box gene containing the K-box domain is not necessarily induced by the corresponding hormone or environment, on the contrary, some response elements lacking in the MADS-box gene containing the K-box domain can also be induced by the corresponding hormone or environment.…”