Comprehensive identification and expression analysis of GRAS gene family under abiotic stress and phytohormone treatments in Pearl millet

Funct Plant Biol. 2021 Sep;48(10):1039-1052. doi: 10.1071/FP21051.

Abstract

Pearl millet is an important C4 cereal plant that possesses enormous capacity to survive under extreme climatic conditions. It serves as a major food source for people in arid and semiarid regions of south-east Asia and Africa. GRAS is an important transcription factor gene family of plant that play a critical role in regulating developmental processes, stress responses and phytohormonal signalling. In the present study, we have identified a total number of 57 GRAS members in pearl millet. Phylogenetic analysis clustered all the PgGRAS genes into eight groups (GroupI-GroupVIII). Motif analysis has shown that all the PgGRAS proteins had conserved GRAS domains and gene structure analysis revealed a high structural diversity among PgGRAS genes. Expression patterns of PgGRAS genes in different tissues (leaf, stem and root) and under various abiotic stress (drought, heat and salinity) were determined. Further, expression analysis was also carried out in response to various hormones (SA, MeJA, GA and ABA). The results provide a clear understanding of GRAS transcription factor family in pearl millet, and lay a good foundation for the functional characterisation of GRAS genes in pearl millet.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Pennisetum* / metabolism
  • Phylogeny
  • Plant Growth Regulators
  • Plant Proteins / genetics
  • Stress, Physiological / genetics

Substances

  • Plant Growth Regulators
  • Plant Proteins