title: Functional divergence of the glutathione S-transferase supergene family in Physcomitrella patens reveals complex patterns of large gene family evolution in land plants.
abstract: Plant glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) are multifunctional proteins encoded by a large gene family that play major roles in the detoxification of xenobiotics and oxidative stress metabolism. To date, studies on the GST gene family have focused mainly on vascular plants (particularly agricultural plants). In contrast, little information is available on the molecular characteristics of this large gene family in nonvascular plants. In addition, the evolutionary patterns of this family in land plants remain unclear. In this study, we identified 37 GST genes from the whole genome of the moss Physcomitrella patens, a nonvascular representative of early land plants. The 37 P. patens GSTs were divided into 10 classes, including two new classes (hemerythrin and iota). However, no tau GSTs were identified, which represent the largest class among vascular plants. P. patens GST gene family members showed extensive functional divergence in their gene structures, gene expression responses to abiotic stressors, enzymatic characteristics, and the subcellular locations of the encoded proteins. A joint phylogenetic analysis of GSTs from P. patens and other higher vascular plants showed that different class GSTs had distinct duplication patterns during the evolution of land plants. By examining multiple characteristics, this study revealed complex patterns of evolutionary divergence among the GST gene family in land plants.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China.
authors.forename: Yan-Jing
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xue-Min
authors.initials: XM
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Lin-Ling
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Hai-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Qing-Yin
authors.initials: QY
authors.lastname: Zeng
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D019068:Bryopsida / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D019669:Embryophyta / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020440:Gene Duplication; D014644:Genetic Variation; D005982:Glutathione Transferase / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007527:Isoenzymes / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008957:Models, Genetic; D008958:Models, Molecular; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D005810:Multigene Family; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D013379:Substrate Specificity
chemical_list: D007527:Isoenzymes; D010940:Plant Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D005982:Glutathione Transferase