Genome-wide characterization of heavy metal-associated isoprenylated plant protein gene family from Citrus sinensis in response to huanglongbing

Guiyan Huang; Yanan Hu; Fuxuan Li; Xiru Zuo; Xinyou Wang; Fengyao Li; Ruimin Li

doi:10.3389/fpls.2024.1369883

Genome-wide characterization of heavy metal-associated isoprenylated plant protein gene family from Citrus sinensis in response to huanglongbing

Front Plant Sci. 2024 Mar 27:15:1369883. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1369883. eCollection 2024.

Authors

Guiyan Huang^{1

2}, Yanan Hu¹, Fuxuan Li¹, Xiru Zuo¹, Xinyou Wang¹, Fengyao Li¹, Ruimin Li^{1

2}

Affiliations

¹ College of Life Sciences, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, China.
² China-USA Citrus Huanglongbing Joint Laboratory, National Navel Orange Engineering Research Center, College of Life Sciences, Gannan Normal University, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Heavy metal-associated isoprenylated plant proteins (HIPPs) play vital roles in maintaining heavy metal balance and responding to both biotic and abiotic stresses in vascular plants. However, the role of HIPPs in the response to Huanglongbing (HLB), a harmful disease of citrus caused by the phloem-colonizing bacterium Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus (CLas), has not been examined.

Methods and results: In this study, a total of 26 HIPP genes were identified in Citrus sinensis, and they were grouped into 5 clades. The CsHIPP genes are distributed on 8 chromosomes and exhibited considerable synteny with HIPPs found in Arabidopsis thaliana. Additionally, we analyzed the gene structure, conserved motifs and domains of the CsHIPPs. Various cis-acting elements related to plant hormones and stress responses were identified in the promoters of CsHIPPs. Public transcriptome data and RT-qPCR analysis showed that the expression level of CsHIPP03 was significantly reduced in samples infected by CLas and Xanthomonas citri ssp. citri (Xcc). Furthermore, silencing the homologous gene of CsHIPP03 in Nicotiana benthamiana increased the disease resistance of plants to bacteria.

Discussion: Our results provide a basis for functional studies of HIPP gene family in C. sinensis, highlighting their functions in bacterial resistance, and improve our understanding to the susceptibility mechanism of HLB.

Keywords: Citrus sinensis; heavy metal-associated isoprenylated plant proteins; huanglongbing; phylogenetic analysis; susceptible gene.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [grant numbers 32160621 and 32260659], the Innovation Program of short-term Leader of Jiangxi Province [grant number jxsq2020102129], and the Innovation Fund Designated for Graduate Students of Jiangxi Province [grant number YC2023-S850].