NB-LRR Lineage-Specific Equipment Is Sorted Out by Sequence Pattern Adaptation and Domain Segment Shuffling

Area of Science:

• Plant biology
• Genomics
• Evolutionary biology

Background:

• Nucleotide-binding and leucine-rich repeat (NB-LRR) genes, known as resistance (R)-genes, are crucial for plant immunity.
• NB-LRR gene families diversify through mechanisms like duplication and domain fusion, leading to varied functionalities.
• Understanding the evolutionary pathways of R-protein structure is essential for comprehending plant defense mechanisms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To retrace the plant-lineage-specific evolution of R-protein structure using multi-genome comparative analysis.
• To identify homology relationships and characterize NB-LRR gene groups across species.
• To investigate the arsenal profile and adaptation signatures of NB-LRR genes in diverse botanical families.

Main Methods:

• Performed a multi-genome comparative analysis of NB-LRR genes.
• Defined gene groups based on homology relationships across different plant species.
• Analyzed NB domains of well-characterized R-genes to understand diversification from core motifs.

Main Results:

• Identified conserved homology groups of NB-LRR genes, with well-characterized R-proteins in the most populated groups.
• Investigated NB-LRR gene repertoires in five botanical families, highlighting species-specific adaptation signatures.
• Dissected 70 NB domains, revealing core motifs and the diversification of three main R-protein classes.

Conclusions:

• Structural remodeling of NB-LRR domains significantly shapes species-specific repertoires.
• The study provides evolutionary and functional insights into NB-LRR domain shuffling.
• Findings enhance understanding of molecular adaptive selection mechanisms at plant R-loci.