Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of MAPK and MAPKK Gene Families in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

The mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascade is a universal signal transduction module that plays a vital role in regulating growth and development, as well as environmental stress responses in plants. Wheat is one of the most important crops worldwide. Although the MAPK kinase kinase (MAP3K) family in wheat has been investigated, the MAPK and MAPK kinase (MAP2K) gene families remain unknown at present. Here, 54 MAPK and 18 MAPKK genes were identified in wheat using recent genomic information. Phylogenetic analysis of Triticum aestivum L. MAPKs and MAPKKs (TaMAPKs and TaMAPKKs) together with homologous genes from other species classified them into four groups, and the clustering was consistent with the genomic exon/intron structures. Conserved motif analysis found that MAPK proteins contained a typical TXY phosphorylation site and MAPKK proteins contained an S/T-X5-S/T motif. RNA-seq data mapping analysis showed that MAPK and MAPKK genes in group IV had tissue-specific expression profiles, whereas each group I member showed relatively high expression in all organs. Expression patterns of TaMAPK and TaMAPKK genes under stress conditions were also investigated and stress-responsive candidates were identified. Co-expression network analysis identified 11 TaMAPK genes and 6 TaMAPKK genes involved in the interaction network pathway. Overall, this study provided useful information for evolutionary and functional surveys of MAPK and MAPKK gene families in wheat and beyond.

Analysis of wheat gene expression related to the oxidative stress response and signal transduction under short-term osmotic stress

“…MAPK6 gene induction during water deficiency has also been reported in wheat 35 and A. thaliana 32 . However, some of the tested lines did not show any changes in MAPK6 expression (1A, 3A, 5A, 6A, 3B and 7B), which had also been demonstrated in wheat cultivar Chinese Spring using RNA-seq 36 . The downregulation of MAPK3 gene expression was observed in all tested lines.…”

Analysis of MAPK and MAPKK gene families in wheat and related Triticeae species

“…This MAPK nomenclature model has already been applied in a range of species, including rice and Brachypodium [ 3 , 11 , 17 – 22 ]. The resulting names for wheat and barley MAPKs therefore differ in several instances from the naming assigned for these genes in GenBank and from that reported in the literature for these species [ 23 – 25 , 27 , 36 , 51 , 52 ] (Tables 3 and 4 ; Additional file 3 ). On the other hand, the rye and triticale MPKs and MKKs described here have not been previously reported, and therefore have no nomenclature discrepancies.…”

Genome-Wide Identification and Transcriptional Regulation of Aquaporin Genes in Bread Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under Water Stress

“…Thell] (2n = 4x = 28; AABB), which subsequently hybridized with Aegilops tauschii (D-genome donor) to form the current genome composition of bread wheat (2n = 6x = 42; AABBDD) [ 38 ]. These events have modified the number and/or levels of expression of different gene families, such as EXP expansins, SWEET sugar transporters, MAPK and MAPKK kinases, PHT1 phosphate transporters, among others, implicating a change in their biological role [ 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ].…”