Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of the Brassinazole-resistant (BZR) Gene Family and Its Expression in the Various Developmental Stage and Stress Conditions in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

Abstract

Brassinosteroids (BRs) play crucial roles in various biological processes, including plant developmental processes and response to diverse biotic and abiotic stresses. However, no information is currently available about this gene family in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). In the present investigation, we identified the BZR gene family in wheat to understand the evolution and their role in diverse developmental processes and under different stress conditions. In this study, we performed the genome-wide analysis of the BZR gene family in the bread wheat and identified 20 TaBZR genes through a homology search and further characterized them to understand their structure, function, and distribution across various tissues. Phylogenetic analyses lead to the classification of TaBZR genes into five different groups or subfamilies, providing evidence of evolutionary relationship with Arabidopsis thaliana, Zea mays, Glycine max, and Oryza sativa. A gene exon/intron structure analysis showed a distinct evolutionary path and predicted the possible gene duplication events. Further, the physical and biochemical properties, conserved motifs, chromosomal, subcellular localization, and cis-acting regulatory elements were also examined using various computational approaches. In addition, an analysis of public RNA-seq data also shows that TaBZR genes may be involved in diverse developmental processes and stress tolerance mechanisms. Moreover, qRT-PCR results also showed similar expression with slight variation. Collectively, these results suggest that TaBZR genes might play an important role in plant developmental processes and various stress conditions. Therefore, this work provides valuable information for further elucidate the precise role of BZR family members in wheat.

Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of the BZR Transcription Factor Gene Family in Nicotiana benthamiana

“…The response of NbBZR to other stresses (cold stress, heat stress, salt stress) is irregular, some are induced, and some are inhibited, which is consistent with the phenomenon observed in other species [ 30 , 31 , 32 , 34 , 35 ]. In our results, members with specific responses were observed in each stress.…”

“…The BZR family is a small family of plant-specific transcription factors with important functions in plant growth and development and in BZR-mediated abiotic stress [ 30 ]. The BZR gene family members were systematically identified in Arabidopsis [ 13 , 14 ], Brassica rap a [ 31 ], sugar beet ( Beta vulgaris L.) [ 33 ], maize ( Zea mays L.) [ 32 ], apple ( Malus domestica) [ 34 ], wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) [ 35 ] and seven legumes [ 30 ] but, prior to our study, there was no in-depth research report on the BZR TF family in N. benthamiana . In this work, a total of 14 BZR genes in the N. benthamiana genome were identified ( Table 1 ).…”

“…Motif-1 is an atypical bHLH DNA binding domain, which is the most conserved region in the BZR proteins, and the common motif in all BZR proteins [ 12 ]. Motif-4 has a serine-rich sequence (SxxxSxxxSxxx-SxxxS), which is considered to be a putative phosphorylation site for members of the GSK3 kinase family [ 39 ] and is also found in the BZR genes of Legume [ 30 ], Brassica rapa [ 31 ], and wheat [ 35 ]. Motif-8 is a PEST domain involved in the control of protein stability [ 12 ] and was also identified in the BZR genes of Legume [ 30 ] and Brassica rapa [ 31 ].…”

Genomic-Wide Identification and Characterization of the Uridine Diphosphate Glycosyltransferase Family in Eucommia ulmoides Oliver

“…Furthermore, the assignment of biological functions to each member of the gene family is attractive. Through genome-wide analysis and comparative transcriptomics, the PIN-formed and brassinazole-resistant gene families were identified in wheat, which were recognized as playing crucial roles in response to diverse biotic and abiotic stresses [ 29 , 30 ]. In addition, a genome-wide strategy was also used to characterize long non-coding RNAs and natural antisense transcripts [ 31 , 32 ].…”

Genome-Wide Analysis and the Expression Pattern of the MADS-Box Gene Family in Bletilla striata

“…The development of bioinformatics technology has resulted in more specific plant genomics research, especially concerning the functional screening and verification of genes. Examples of these research findings include: PIN-FORMED ( PIN ) genes and brassinazole-resistant ( BZR ) genes have a vital role in Triticum aestivum L. growth and development under various stress conditions [ 27 , 28 ]; the KCS gene family in barley shows diverse expression patterns under drought stress [ 29 ]; LncRNAs in Capsicum annuum regulate transcription factors by interacting with miRNAs [ 30 ]; natural antisense transcripts in Salvia miltiorrhiza potentially regulate the biosynthesis of bioactive compounds [ 31 ]; and that AT-hook motif nuclear-localized genes mediate the stress response of soybean [ 32 ]. The MADS-box gene family has also been studied in many plants, especially A. thaliana [ 7 , 19 , 33 ] and rice [ 1 , 34 , 35 ], as well as orchids such as Erycina pusilla [ 36 ] and Phalaenopsis orchid [ 37 ].…”