The Basic/Helix-Loop-Helix Protein Family in Gossypium: Reference Genes and Their Evolution during Tetraploidization
Qian Yan1, Hou-Sheng Liu1, Dan Yao1
1Biotechnology Research Center, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Application and Safety Control of Genetically Modified Crops, Southwest University, Beibei, Chongqing, China.
This study identified 289 cotton basic/helix-loop-helix (bHLH) genes, revealing significant sequence and expression changes in tetraploid cotton. These findings are crucial for understanding cotton development and evolution.
Area of Science:
- Plant molecular biology
- Genomics
- Evolutionary biology
Background:
- Basic/helix-loop-helix (bHLH) proteins are a large transcription factor family vital for plant development.
- Understanding the bHLH family in cotton is essential for elucidating its growth and evolutionary mechanisms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To conduct a genome-wide analysis of the bHLH gene family in cotton.
- To investigate the evolutionary changes in bHLH genes during cotton tetraploidization.
- To identify specific bHLH genes with altered sequences and expression in tetraploid cotton.
Main Methods:
- Searched for bHLH homologous genes in diploid cotton genomes (Gossypium raimondii and G. arboreum).
- Phylogenetic analysis to cluster bHLH proteins into subfamilies.
- Cloned and compared S5a and S5b subfamily genes in upland cotton and its diploid progenitors.
- Determined transcript profiles of selected bHLH genes in various upland cotton tissues.
Main Results:
- Identified 289 cotton bHLH genes (GobHLH001-289), clustered into 27 subfamilies.
- Cotton bHLH protein numbers increased compared to Arabidopsis and cacao, with uneven distribution across subfamilies.
- Identified sequence changes (e.g., deletion, retrotransposon insertion) and altered expression patterns in tetraploid cotton bHLH genes, particularly GobHLH110 and GobHLH130 during fiber development.
Conclusions:
- The cotton bHLH gene family has undergone significant expansion and evolution, especially during tetraploidization.
- Specific sequence and expression changes in bHLH genes contribute to the unique characteristics of tetraploid cotton.
- This study provides a foundation for future functional studies of bHLH genes in cotton development and adaptation.
More Related Videos
11:33Investigating Interactions Between Histone Modifying Enzymes and Transcription Factors in vivo by Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer
Published on: October 14, 2022
07:09A Bioinformatics Pipeline for Investigating Molecular Evolution and Gene Expression using RNA-seq
Published on: May 28, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Gene Duplication and Divergence
The duplicated copies of the gene are called Paralogs. Paralogs with similar sequences and functions form a gene family. Across several species, a large number of gene families are...
Gene Families
Occasionally these regions can be adapted to take on new roles within the organism, becoming novel genes...
Gene Evolution - Fast or Slow?
In contrast, regions which code...
Gene Regulation During Sporulation
Overview of Transposition and Recombination
Multi-species Conserved Sequences
Although the genome of each species varies greatly from each other, a few sequences are highly conserved. Such conserved...
