Genome-wide analysis of AP2/ERF transcription Factors in Cymbidium sinense reveals their impact on orchid diversity

Cymbidium sinense is a significant traditional Chinese horticultural crop, valued both economically and ornamentally. The APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) transcription factors play crucial roles in regulating growth, development, cell differentiation, and responses to both biotic and abi...

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Main Authors: Yong-Lu Wei, Jian-Peng Jin, Jie Li, Qi Xie, Chu-Qiao Lu, Jie Gao, Gen-Fa Zhu, Feng-Xi Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Plant Science
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1541308/full
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author Yong-Lu Wei
Jian-Peng Jin
Jian-Peng Jin
Jie Li
Qi Xie
Chu-Qiao Lu
Jie Gao
Gen-Fa Zhu
Feng-Xi Yang
author_facet Yong-Lu Wei
Jian-Peng Jin
Jian-Peng Jin
Jie Li
Qi Xie
Chu-Qiao Lu
Jie Gao
Gen-Fa Zhu
Feng-Xi Yang
author_sort Yong-Lu Wei
collection DOAJ
description Cymbidium sinense is a significant traditional Chinese horticultural crop, valued both economically and ornamentally. The APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) transcription factors play crucial roles in regulating growth, development, cell differentiation, and responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. However, the regulatory functions of AP2/ERF factors in C. sinense remain poorly understood. In the present study, 116 AP2/ERF genes were first identified from C.sinense genome. Based phylogenetic analysis, these genes were categorized into five groups: AP2, RAV, ERF, DREB, and Soloist. Within the ERF group, two subtypes were identified: ERF (containing six subtypes from ERF B1 to ERF B6) and DREB (containing six subtypes from DREB A1 to DREB A6), consistent with the classification in Arabidopsis. Significant variation was observed in gene exon-intron structures, though motifs and domain structures were highly conserved. Duplication events and collinearity analyses across five species were also conducted. Further investigations into potential cis-elements in promoter regions and expression profiles of 44 different samples, along with the analysis of 11,197 CsAP2/ERF target genes (functional annotation of 9,566), revealed diverse transcriptional regulatory patterns. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis further elucidated these patterns. To validate transcriptome-based predictions, qRT-PCR analysis was performed on ten key CsAP2/ERF genes, showing high consistency with RNA-seq data. Moreover, a yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assay confirmed that CsAP2_51 directly binds to the promoter of CsAG, a key gene involved in gynostemium development, providing experimental evidence for the regulatory role of CsAP2/ERF in floral morphogenesis. A regulatory model was proposed to illustrate the potential roles of CsAP2/ERF genes in floral patterning and flower color variation. Our findings deepen the understanding of CsAP2/ERF gene functions in C. sinense and provide a valuable foundation for future studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying its growth, development, and ornamental traits.
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publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
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series Frontiers in Plant Science
spelling doaj-art-602bc320c68048fe99653ab9cf1c4d602025-08-20T03:07:17ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2025-06-011610.3389/fpls.2025.15413081541308Genome-wide analysis of AP2/ERF transcription Factors in Cymbidium sinense reveals their impact on orchid diversityYong-Lu Wei0Jian-Peng Jin1Jian-Peng Jin2Jie Li3Qi Xie4Chu-Qiao Lu5Jie Gao6Gen-Fa Zhu7Feng-Xi Yang8Guangdong Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, Environmental Horticulture Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, ChinaGuangdong Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, Environmental Horticulture Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, ChinaSchool of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, ChinaGuangdong Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, Environmental Horticulture Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, ChinaGuangdong Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, Environmental Horticulture Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, ChinaGuangdong Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, Environmental Horticulture Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, ChinaGuangdong Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, Environmental Horticulture Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, ChinaGuangdong Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, Environmental Horticulture Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, ChinaGuangdong Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plant Germplasm Innovation and Utilization, Environmental Horticulture Research Institute, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, ChinaCymbidium sinense is a significant traditional Chinese horticultural crop, valued both economically and ornamentally. The APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) transcription factors play crucial roles in regulating growth, development, cell differentiation, and responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. However, the regulatory functions of AP2/ERF factors in C. sinense remain poorly understood. In the present study, 116 AP2/ERF genes were first identified from C.sinense genome. Based phylogenetic analysis, these genes were categorized into five groups: AP2, RAV, ERF, DREB, and Soloist. Within the ERF group, two subtypes were identified: ERF (containing six subtypes from ERF B1 to ERF B6) and DREB (containing six subtypes from DREB A1 to DREB A6), consistent with the classification in Arabidopsis. Significant variation was observed in gene exon-intron structures, though motifs and domain structures were highly conserved. Duplication events and collinearity analyses across five species were also conducted. Further investigations into potential cis-elements in promoter regions and expression profiles of 44 different samples, along with the analysis of 11,197 CsAP2/ERF target genes (functional annotation of 9,566), revealed diverse transcriptional regulatory patterns. GO enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis further elucidated these patterns. To validate transcriptome-based predictions, qRT-PCR analysis was performed on ten key CsAP2/ERF genes, showing high consistency with RNA-seq data. Moreover, a yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assay confirmed that CsAP2_51 directly binds to the promoter of CsAG, a key gene involved in gynostemium development, providing experimental evidence for the regulatory role of CsAP2/ERF in floral morphogenesis. A regulatory model was proposed to illustrate the potential roles of CsAP2/ERF genes in floral patterning and flower color variation. Our findings deepen the understanding of CsAP2/ERF gene functions in C. sinense and provide a valuable foundation for future studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying its growth, development, and ornamental traits.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1541308/fullCymbidium sinenseAP2/ERFexpression patternfloral patterningciselements
spellingShingle Yong-Lu Wei
Jian-Peng Jin
Jian-Peng Jin
Jie Li
Qi Xie
Chu-Qiao Lu
Jie Gao
Gen-Fa Zhu
Feng-Xi Yang
Genome-wide analysis of AP2/ERF transcription Factors in Cymbidium sinense reveals their impact on orchid diversity
Frontiers in Plant Science
Cymbidium sinense
AP2/ERF
expression pattern
floral patterning
ciselements
title Genome-wide analysis of AP2/ERF transcription Factors in Cymbidium sinense reveals their impact on orchid diversity
title_full Genome-wide analysis of AP2/ERF transcription Factors in Cymbidium sinense reveals their impact on orchid diversity
title_fullStr Genome-wide analysis of AP2/ERF transcription Factors in Cymbidium sinense reveals their impact on orchid diversity
title_full_unstemmed Genome-wide analysis of AP2/ERF transcription Factors in Cymbidium sinense reveals their impact on orchid diversity
title_short Genome-wide analysis of AP2/ERF transcription Factors in Cymbidium sinense reveals their impact on orchid diversity
title_sort genome wide analysis of ap2 erf transcription factors in cymbidium sinense reveals their impact on orchid diversity
topic Cymbidium sinense
AP2/ERF
expression pattern
floral patterning
ciselements
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1541308/full
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