Genome-wide screening of lectin putative genes from Sorghum bicolor L., distribution in QTLs and a probable implications of lectins in abiotic stress tolerance

Abstract

Background Sorghum bicolor is one of the most important crops worldwide with the potential to provide resilience when other economic staples might fail against the continuous environmental changes. Many physiological, developmental and tolerance traits in plants are either controlled or influenced by lectins; carbohydrate binding proteins. Hence, we aimed at providing a comprehensive in silico account on sorghum’s lectins and study their possible implication on various desired agronomical traits. Results We have searched sorghum’s genome from grain and sweet types for lectins putative genes that encode proteins with domains capable of differentially binding carbohydrate moieties and trigger various physiological responses. Of the 12 known plant lectin families, 8 were identified regarding their domain architectures, evolutionary relationships, physiochemical characteristics, and gene expansion mechanisms, and they were thoroughly addressed. Variations between grain and sweet sorghum lectin homologs in term of the presence/absence of certain other joint domains like dirigent and nucleotide-binding adaptor shared by APAF-1, R-proteins, and CED-4 (NB-ARC) indicate a possible neofunctionalization. Lectin sequences were found to be preferentially overrepresented in certain quantitative trait loci (QTLs) related to various traits under several subcategories such as cold, drought, salinity, panicle/grain composition, and leaf morphology. The co-localization and distribution of lectins among multiple QTLs provide insights into the pleiotropic effects that could be played by one lectin gene in numerous traits. Conclusion Our study offers a first-time inclusive details on sorghum lectins and their possible role in conferring tolerance against abiotic stresses and other economically important traits that can be informative for future functional analysis and breeding studies.

Recent advancements in the breeding of sorghum crop: current status and future strategies for marker-assisted breeding

“…Tolerance to abiotic stress is intricate and often controlled by a large number of quantitative trait loci (Mwamahonje et al, 2021;Osman et al, 2022). The generation of superior lines with enhanced resilience to abiotic stress using molecular breeding procedures has a limited track record of success (Tonapi et al, 2020).…”

Plant lectins: Handymen at the cell surface

“…Recently, a large set of unconventionally secreted lectins with a potential function in abiotic stress signalling, was identified in sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ), based on the identification of quantitative trait loci known to be important for abiotic stress signalling. These analyses revealed a potential association with cold and drought stress signalling ( Osman et al, 2022 ).…”

Arthrospira promotes plant growth and soil properties under high salinity environments

“…Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench) is the fifth most important cereal crop, providing human foods, animal feeds, and bioenergy. Notably, sorghum exhibits exceptional tolerance to abiotic stresses, such as salinity and drought, making it an ideal crop in the face of changing climate conditions ( Osman et al., 2022 ). In this study, by comprehensive analysis of cellular components, we found that Arthrospira is capable of synthesizing compatible solutes, among them GG and Tre, and confirmed their positive effect in plant salt tolerance.…”