Characterization of WRKY transcription factors in Solanum lycopersicum reveals collinearity and their expression patterns under cold treatment

Lin Chen; Yang Yang; Can Liu; Yanyan Zheng; Mingshuang Xu; Na Wu; Jiping Sheng; Lin Shen

doi:10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.07.085

Characterization of WRKY transcription factors in Solanum lycopersicum reveals collinearity and their expression patterns under cold treatment

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2015 Aug 28;464(3):962-8. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.07.085. Epub 2015 Jul 18.

Authors

Lin Chen¹, Yang Yang¹, Can Liu¹, Yanyan Zheng¹, Mingshuang Xu¹, Na Wu¹, Jiping Sheng², Lin Shen³

Affiliations

¹ College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China.
² School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China, Beijing, 100872, China.
³ College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering, China Agricultural University, Beijing, 100083, China. Electronic address: shen5000@cau.edu.cn.

PMID: 26196744
DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2015.07.085

Abstract

WRKY transcription factors play an important role in cold defense of plants. However, little information is available about the cold-responsive WRKYs in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). In the present study, a complete characterization of this gene family was described. Eighty WRKY genes in the tomato genome were identified. Almost all WRKY genes contain putative stress-responsive cis-elements in their promoter regions. Segmental duplications contributed significantly to the expansion of the SlWRKY gene family. Transcriptional analysis revealed notable differential expression in tomato tissues and expression patterns under cold stress, which indicated wide functional divergence in this family. Ten WRKYs in tomato were strongly induced more than 2-fold during cold stress. These genes represented candidate genes for future functional analysis of WRKYs involved in the cold-related signal pathways. Our data provide valuable information about tomato WRKY proteins and form a foundation for future studies of these proteins, especially for those that play an important role in response to cold stress.

Keywords: Cold stress; Solanum lycopersicum; Syntenic analysis; WRKY transcription factor.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Cold Temperature
Evolution, Molecular
Gene Duplication
Gene Expression Regulation, Plant*
Genotype
Plant Proteins / genetics*
Promoter Regions, Genetic
Solanum lycopersicum / genetics*
Transcription Factors / genetics*

Substances

Plant Proteins
Transcription Factors