Genome-Wide Analysis of the <i>ATGs</i> Family in Watermelon and the Involvement of <i>ATG8s</i> in Graft Union Formation
Autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved process for cellular component degradation and recycling, occurs in yeasts, animals, and plants under both stress and normal conditions. However, the functions of autophagy-related genes (<i>ATGs</i>) in watermelon (<i>Citrullus lanatus</i&...
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2025-06-01
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| author | Fei Ding Siqi Cheng Shaoshuai Fan Xiulan Fan Xiaonuan Chen Jianan Zhang Yixin Zhang Yansu Li Li Miao |
| author_facet | Fei Ding Siqi Cheng Shaoshuai Fan Xiulan Fan Xiaonuan Chen Jianan Zhang Yixin Zhang Yansu Li Li Miao |
| author_sort | Fei Ding |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Autophagy, an evolutionarily conserved process for cellular component degradation and recycling, occurs in yeasts, animals, and plants under both stress and normal conditions. However, the functions of autophagy-related genes (<i>ATGs</i>) in watermelon (<i>Citrullus lanatus</i>) remain uncharacterized. In this study, a phylogenetic analysis identified 27 <i>ATGs</i> belonging to 16 subfamilies in the watermelon genome. A promoter analysis revealed that all the <i>ClaATGs</i> contain multiple photo-responsive elements. Tissue-specific expression profiling showed diverse expression patterns of <i>ClaATGs</i> across different tissues, except for the constitutively expressed <i>ClaATG6</i>. Exogenous independent treatments with glucose, naphthalene acetic acid, and 6-benzylaminopurine induced the expression of most <i>ClaATGs</i>, particularly members of the <i>ClaATG8</i> subfamily, in the graft unions of normal and etiolated seedlings. A sugar application significantly increased autophagosome numbers during the early stages of graft interface healing, accompanied by the upregulation of <i>ClaATG6</i>, <i>ClaATG8b</i>, <i>ClaATG8i</i>, and <i>ClaTOR</i>, as well as the downregulation of <i>ClaSnRK1</i>. These findings elucidate the roles of <i>ATGs</i> in watermelon graft union formation and provide novel insights into the complex functions of autophagy in plant development and stress responses. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3bfe2ab64af04bae9e40d180afe920bd |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2311-7524 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Horticulturae |
| spelling | doaj-art-3bfe2ab64af04bae9e40d180afe920bd2025-08-20T03:24:38ZengMDPI AGHorticulturae2311-75242025-06-0111661910.3390/horticulturae11060619Genome-Wide Analysis of the <i>ATGs</i> Family in Watermelon and the Involvement of <i>ATG8s</i> in Graft Union FormationFei Ding0Siqi Cheng1Shaoshuai Fan2Xiulan Fan3Xiaonuan Chen4Jianan Zhang5Yixin Zhang6Yansu Li7Li Miao8College of Agriculture and Biology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, ChinaEngineering Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of Shandong Province, College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qindao 266000, ChinaCollege of Horticulture Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, ChinaCollege of Agriculture and Biology, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, ChinaEngineering Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of Shandong Province, College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qindao 266000, ChinaEngineering Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of Shandong Province, College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qindao 266000, ChinaCollege of Horticulture Science, Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Vegetable Biobreeding, Institute of Vegetables and Flowers, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, ChinaEngineering Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of Shandong Province, College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qindao 266000, ChinaAutophagy, an evolutionarily conserved process for cellular component degradation and recycling, occurs in yeasts, animals, and plants under both stress and normal conditions. However, the functions of autophagy-related genes (<i>ATGs</i>) in watermelon (<i>Citrullus lanatus</i>) remain uncharacterized. In this study, a phylogenetic analysis identified 27 <i>ATGs</i> belonging to 16 subfamilies in the watermelon genome. A promoter analysis revealed that all the <i>ClaATGs</i> contain multiple photo-responsive elements. Tissue-specific expression profiling showed diverse expression patterns of <i>ClaATGs</i> across different tissues, except for the constitutively expressed <i>ClaATG6</i>. Exogenous independent treatments with glucose, naphthalene acetic acid, and 6-benzylaminopurine induced the expression of most <i>ClaATGs</i>, particularly members of the <i>ClaATG8</i> subfamily, in the graft unions of normal and etiolated seedlings. A sugar application significantly increased autophagosome numbers during the early stages of graft interface healing, accompanied by the upregulation of <i>ClaATG6</i>, <i>ClaATG8b</i>, <i>ClaATG8i</i>, and <i>ClaTOR</i>, as well as the downregulation of <i>ClaSnRK1</i>. These findings elucidate the roles of <i>ATGs</i> in watermelon graft union formation and provide novel insights into the complex functions of autophagy in plant development and stress responses.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/6/619watermelonautophagygrafting<i>ClaATGs</i> |
| spellingShingle | Fei Ding Siqi Cheng Shaoshuai Fan Xiulan Fan Xiaonuan Chen Jianan Zhang Yixin Zhang Yansu Li Li Miao Genome-Wide Analysis of the <i>ATGs</i> Family in Watermelon and the Involvement of <i>ATG8s</i> in Graft Union Formation Horticulturae watermelon autophagy grafting <i>ClaATGs</i> |
| title | Genome-Wide Analysis of the <i>ATGs</i> Family in Watermelon and the Involvement of <i>ATG8s</i> in Graft Union Formation |
| title_full | Genome-Wide Analysis of the <i>ATGs</i> Family in Watermelon and the Involvement of <i>ATG8s</i> in Graft Union Formation |
| title_fullStr | Genome-Wide Analysis of the <i>ATGs</i> Family in Watermelon and the Involvement of <i>ATG8s</i> in Graft Union Formation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Genome-Wide Analysis of the <i>ATGs</i> Family in Watermelon and the Involvement of <i>ATG8s</i> in Graft Union Formation |
| title_short | Genome-Wide Analysis of the <i>ATGs</i> Family in Watermelon and the Involvement of <i>ATG8s</i> in Graft Union Formation |
| title_sort | genome wide analysis of the i atgs i family in watermelon and the involvement of i atg8s i in graft union formation |
| topic | watermelon autophagy grafting <i>ClaATGs</i> |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/11/6/619 |
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