title: Inventory and general analysis of the ATP-binding cassette (ABC) gene superfamily in maize (Zea mays L.).
abstract: The metabolic functions of ATP-binding cassette (or ABC) proteins, one of the largest families of proteins presented in all organisms, have been investigated in many protozoan, animal and plant species. To facilitate more systematic and complicated studies on maize ABC proteins in the future, we present the first complete inventory of these proteins, including 130 open reading frames (ORFs), and provide general descriptions of their classifications, basic structures, typical functions, evolution track analysis and expression profiles. The 130 ORFs were assigned to eight subfamilies based on their structures and homological features. Five of these subfamilies consist of 109 proteins, containing transmembrane domains (TM) performing as transporters. The rest three subfamilies contain 21 soluble proteins involved in various functions other than molecular transport. A comparison of ABC proteins among nine selected species revealed either convergence or divergence in each of the ABC subfamilies. Generally, plant genomes contain far more ABC genes than animal genomes. The expression profiles and evolution track of each maize ABC gene were further investigated, the results of which could provide clues for analyzing their functions. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction experiments (PCR) were conducted to detect induced expression in select ABC genes under several common stresses. This investigation provides valuable information for future research on stress tolerance in plants and potential strategies for enhancing maize production under stressful conditions.
authors.affiliation: Maize Institute, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences/National Maize Improvement Sub-Center/National Engineering Laboratory for Wheat and Maize, Jinan 250100, PR China.
authors.forename: Kaiyuan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Yanjiao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Menghan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Zhaodong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Yanli
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D019295:Computational Biology; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005810:Multigene Family; D010802:Phylogeny; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018528:ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters
keywords: ABC; ABC transporter of the mitochondria; ABCs; ALD; AMN; AOHs; ATHs; ATM; ATP-binding cassette; CBYs; CCALD; CCMs; DPLs; EB; Epstein–Barr virus; HDL; HMRP; IAA; ISBs; Iron–sulfur binding cluster-containing proteins; JA; MDRs; MRPs; Maize; NBD; ORF; P-glycoprotein; PDRs; PGP; PMP; RLI; Resistance; Rnase-L inhibitors; TAPs; TGDs; TM; Transport; WBCs; adrenomyeloneuropathy; aldosterone; childhood cerebral ALD; cytochrome c maturations; drug, peptides and lipid export proteins; half-MRP; high-density lipoprotein; human-ABC1 homologies; human-ABC2 homologies; indole-3-acetic acid; jasmonic acid; multidrug resistance proteins; multidrug resistance-associated proteins; nucleotide-binding domain; obalt transport-associated proteins; open reading frame; peroxisomal membrane proteins; pleiotropic drug resistance proteins; qRT-PCR; quantitative real-time PCR; transmembrane domains; transporters associated with antigen processing; trigalactosyldiacylglycerol proteins; white–brown complex homolog proteins