Genome-Wide Identification, Evolution, and Expression Analysis of <i>TPS</i> and <i>TPP</i> Gene Families in <i>Brachypodium distachyon</i>

• Main Authors: Song Wang, Kai Ouyang, Kai Wang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-09-01
• Series: Plants
• Subjects: TPS; TPP; <i>Brachypodium distachyon</i>; abiotic stress; expression analysis
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/8/10/362

Trehalose biosynthesis enzyme homologues in plants contain two families, trehalose-6-phosphate synthases (TPSs) and trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatases (TPPs). Both families participate in trehalose synthesis and a variety of stress-resistance processes. Here, nine <i>BdTPS</i> and ten <i>BdTPP</i> genes were identified based on the <i>Brachypodium distachyon</i> genome, and all genes were classified into three classes. The Class I and Class II members differed substantially in gene structures, conserved motifs, and protein sequence identities, implying varied gene functions. Gene duplication analysis showed that one <i>BdTPS</i> gene pair and four <i>BdTPP</i> gene pairs are formed by duplication events. The value of <i>Ka/Ks</i> (non-synonymous/synonymous) was less than 1, suggesting purifying selection in these gene families. The <i>cis</i>-elements and gene interaction network prediction showed that many family members may be involved in stress responses. The quantitative real-time reverse transcription (qRT-PCR) results further supported that most <i>BdTPSs</i> responded to at least one stress or abscisic acid (ABA) treatment, whereas over half of <i>BdTPPs</i> were downregulated after stress treatment, implying that <i>BdTPSs</i> play a more important role in stress responses than <i>BdTPPs</i>. This work provides a foundation for the genome-wide identification of the <i>B. distachyon TPS&#8722;TPP</i> gene families and a frame for further studies of these gene families in abiotic stress responses.