Comprehensive analysis of the polygalacturonase and pectin methylesterase genes in Brassica rapa shed light on their different evolutionary patterns.
Pectins are fundamental polysaccharides in the plant primary cell wall. Polygalacturonases (PGs) and pectin methylesterases (PMEs), major components of the pectin remodeling and disassembly network, are involved in cell separation processes during many stages of plant development. A comprehensive study of these genes in plants could shed light on the evolution patterns of their structural development. In this study, we conducted whole-genome annotation, molecular evolution and gene expression analyses of PGs and PMEs in Brassica rapa and 8 other plant species. A total of 100 PGs and 110 PMEs were identified in B. rapa; they primarily diverged from 12-18 MYA and PMEs were retained more than PGs. Along with another 305 PGs and 348 PMEs in the 8 species, two different expansion or evolution types were discovered: a new branch of class A PGs appeared after the split of gymnosperms and angiosperms, which led to the rapid expansion of PGs; the pro domain was obtained or lost in the proPMEs through comprehensive analyses among PME genes. In addition, the PGs and PMEs exhibit diverged expression patterns. These findings will lead to novel insight regarding functional divergence and conservation in the gene families and provide more support for molecular evolution analyses.
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement/Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
Weike
W
Duan
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement/Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
Zhinan
Z
Huang
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement/Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.|Center of Genomics and Computational Biology, College of Life Sciences, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei 063000, China.
Xiaoming
X
Song
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement/Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
Tongkun
T
Liu
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement/Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
Hailong
H
Liu
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement/Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
Xilin
X
Hou
State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement/Key Laboratory of Biology and Germplasm Enhancement of Horticultural Crops in East China, Ministry of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China.
Ying
Y
Li
D029741:Brassica rapa / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D011096:Polygalacturonase / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*
D002265:Carboxylic Ester Hydrolases; C022323:pectinesterase; D011096:Polygalacturonase