Genome-Wide Identification of <i>UGT</i> Genes and Analysis of Their Expression Profiles During Fruit Development in Walnut (<i>Juglans regia</i> L.)

Genome-Wide Identification of <i>UGT</i> Genes and Analysis of Their Expression Profiles During Fruit Development in Walnut (<i>Juglans regia</i> L.)

Walnut (<i>Juglans regia</i> L.) possesses the ability to prevent coronary heart disease and promote cardiovascular health. This ability can be attributed to their rich content of polyphenols, particularly flavonoids. The biosynthesis of flavonoids is reliant on the catalytic activity of...

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Main Authors: Danhua Shi, Jinyu Yang, Gengyang Li, Yuanting Zhou, Pei Yao, Yanyu Shi, Jieyun Tian, Xiaojun Zhang, Qunlong Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Horticulturae
Subjects:
walnut
UDP-glycosyltransferase
gene family
gene expression
phenolic substance
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2311-7524/10/11/1130
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Summary:Walnut (<i>Juglans regia</i> L.) possesses the ability to prevent coronary heart disease and promote cardiovascular health. This ability can be attributed to their rich content of polyphenols, particularly flavonoids. The biosynthesis of flavonoids is reliant on the catalytic activity of uridine diphosphate glycosyltransferase (<i>UGT</i>). However, the identification of <i>UGTs</i> in walnut has not been reported. In the current study, a total of 124 <i>UGT</i> genes containing the PSPG box were identified from the walnut genome. Based on phylogenetic analysis, the 124 <i>UGTs</i> could be classified into 16 distinct groups, which exhibited an uneven distribution across the 16 chromosomes. Subcellular localization prediction analysis revealed that approximately 78.23% of walnut <i>UGT</i> proteins were predominantly localized in the cytoplasmic compartment. Furthermore, motif annotation confirmed that motifs 1, 2, and 3 represented conserved structural features within <i>UGT</i> proteins, while interestingly, around 56.5% of walnut <i>UGT</i> members lacked introns. Through the analysis of promoter cis-regulatory elements, it was revealed that <i>JrUGTs</i> are involved in photoresponse, hormonal regulation, and other physiological responses. In conjunction with transcriptome analysis and quantitative expression, approximately 39% of <i>UGT</i> genes in walnut exhibited high expression levels during early fruit development. Correlation analysis between <i>UGT</i> genes’ expression and phenolic content in walnut indicated that <i>JrUGT6</i>, <i>JrUGT38</i>, <i>JrUGT39</i>, <i>JrUGT58</i>, <i>JrUGT69</i>, <i>JrUGT75</i>, and <i>JrUGT82</i> might be involved in phenolic biosynthesis in walnut. This comprehensive study provides an overview of the <i>UGT</i> genes in walnut, serving as a valuable reference and theoretical foundation for further investigations into the biological functions of <i>JrUGTs</i> in flavonoid biosynthesis.
ISSN:2311-7524

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