Genome-wide identification of the potato WRKY transcription factor family

PLoS One. 2017 Jul 20;12(7):e0181573. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0181573. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

WRKY transcription factors play pivotal roles in regulation of stress responses. This study identified 79 WRKY genes in potato (Solanum tuberosum). Based on multiple sequence alignment and phylogenetic relationships, WRKY genes were classified into three major groups. The majority of WRKY genes belonged to Group II (52 StWRKYs), Group III had 14 and Group I consisted of 13. The phylogenetic tree further classified Group II into five sub-groups. All StWRKY genes except StWRKY79 were mapped on potato chromosomes, with eight tandem duplication gene pairs and seven segmental duplication gene pairs found from StWRKY family genes. The expression analysis of 22 StWRKYs showed their differential expression levels under various stress conditions. Cis-element prediction showed that a large number of elements related to drought, heat and salicylic acid were present in the promotor regions of StWRKY genes. The expression analysis indicated that seven StWRKYs seemed to respond to stress (heat, drought and salinity) and salicylic acid treatment. These genes are candidates for abiotic stress signaling for further research.

MeSH terms

  • Chromosome Mapping
  • Dehydration / genetics
  • Dehydration / metabolism
  • Gene Expression Profiling
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Genome, Plant
  • Hot Temperature
  • Phylogeny
  • Plant Proteins / genetics*
  • Plant Proteins / metabolism
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Salts
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Sequence Homology, Amino Acid
  • Solanum tuberosum / genetics*
  • Solanum tuberosum / metabolism
  • Stress, Physiological / genetics
  • Stress, Physiological / physiology
  • Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Transcription Factors / metabolism

Substances

  • Plant Proteins
  • Salts
  • Transcription Factors

Grants and funding

This work was financially supported by the Research funding for special professor of Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University (grant Nos. Z111021202).