title: Genome-wide identification, splicing, and expression analysis of the myosin gene family in maize (Zea mays).
abstract: The actin-based myosin system is essential for the organization and dynamics of the endomembrane system and transport network in plant cells. Plants harbour two unique myosin groups, class VIII and class XI, and the latter is structurally and functionally analogous to the animal and fungal class V myosin. Little is known about myosins in grass, even though grass includes several agronomically important cereal crops. Here, we identified 14 myosin genes from the genome of maize (Zea mays). The relatively larger sizes of maize myosin genes are due to their much longer introns, which are abundant in transposable elements. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that maize myosin genes could be classified into class VIII and class XI, with three and 11 members, respectively. Apart from subgroup XI-F, the remaining subgroups were duplicated at least in one analysed lineage, and the duplication events occurred more extensively in Arabidopsis than in maize. Only two pairs of maize myosins were generated from segmental duplication. Expression analysis revealed that most maize myosin genes were expressed universally, whereas a few members (XI-1, -6, and -11) showed an anther-specific pattern, and many underwent extensive alternative splicing. We also found a short transcript at the O1 locus, which conceptually encoded a headless myosin that most likely functions at the transcriptional level rather than via a dominant-negative mechanism at the translational level. Together, these data provide significant insights into the evolutionary and functional characterization of maize myosin genes that could transfer to the identification and application of homologous myosins of other grasses.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Key Laboratory of Bio-Energy Crops, School of Life Sciences, Shanghai University, No. 333 Nanchen Road, Shanghai, PR China.
authors.forename: Guifeng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Mingyu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhong
authors.forename: Jiajia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jushan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yuanping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rentao
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Song
mesh_terms: D008841:Actin Cytoskeleton / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017398:Alternative Splicing; D019295:Computational Biology; D020440:Gene Duplication; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D056426:Genetic Loci; D018745:Genome, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D005810:Multigene Family; D009218:Myosins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D021381:Protein Transport; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D059467:Transcriptome; D003313:Zea mays / Q000166:cytology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D018749:RNA, Plant; D009218:Myosins
keywords: Alternative splicing; evolution; expression pattern; headless myosin; maize; myosin.