title: Genome-wide identification and transcriptional expression analysis of mitogen-activated protein kinase and mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase genes in Capsicum annuum.
abstract: The tripartite mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling cascades have been implicated in plant growth, development, and environment adaptation, but a comprehensive understanding of MAPK signaling at genome-wide level is limited in Capsicum annuum. Herein, genome-wide identification and transcriptional expression analysis of MAPK and MAPK kinase (MAPKK) were performed in pepper. A total of 19 pepper MAPK (CaMAPKs) genes and five MAPKK (CaMAPKKs) genes were identified. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that CaMAPKs and CaMAPKKs could be classified into four groups and each group contains similar exon-intron structures. However, significant divergences were also found. Notably, five members of the pepper MAPKK family were much less conserved than those found in Arabidopsis, and 9 Arabidopsis MAPKs did not have orthologs in pepper. Additionally, 7 MAPKs in Arabidopsis had either two or three orthologs in the pepper genome, and six pepper MAPKs and one MAPKK differing in sequence were found in three pepper varieties. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis showed that the majority of MAPK and MAPKK genes were ubiquitously expressed and transcriptionally modified in pepper leaves after treatments with heat, salt, and Ralstonia solanacearum inoculation as well as exogenously applied salicylic acid, methyl jasmonate, ethephon, and abscisic acid. The MAPKK-MAPK interactome was tested by yeast two-hybrid assay, the results showed that one MAPKK might interact with multiple MAPKs, one MAPK might also interact with more than one MAPKKs, constituting MAPK signaling networks which may collaborate in transmitting upstream signals into appropriate downstream cellular responses and processes. These results will facilitate future functional characterization of MAPK cascades in pepper.
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Plant Protection, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhiqin
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Lanping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yanyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Sheng
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jinsen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Huanxin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Rongzhang
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jiayu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Youquan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Cailing
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yangwen
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Shaoliang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mou
authors.affiliation: National Education Minster Key Laboratory of Plant Genetic Improvement and Comprehensive Utilization, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China ; College of Crop Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University Fuzhou, China.
authors.forename: Shuilin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: He
keywords: MAPK; MAPKK; gene expression; genome-wide analysis; pepper