Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of the Mitochondrial Transcription Termination Factors (mTERFs) in <i>Capsicum annuum</i> L.

• Main Authors: Bingqian Tang, Lingling Xie, Ting Yi, Junheng Lv, Huiping Yang, Xiang Cheng, Feng Liu, Xuexiao Zou
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-12-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: capsicum; mterf gene family; phylogenetic analysis; expression analysis; go analysis; abiotic stress
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/21/1/269

Mitochondrial transcription termination factors (<i>mTERFs</i>) regulate the expression of mitochondrial genes and are closely related to the function of the mitochondrion and chloroplast. In this study, the <i>mTERF</i> gene family in capsicum (<i>Capsicum annuum</i> L.) was identified and characterized through genomic and bioinformatic analyses. Capsicum was found to possess at least 35 <i>mTERF</i> genes (<i>CamTERFs</i>), which were divided into eight major groups following phylogenetic analysis. Analysis of <i>CamTERF</i> promoters revealed the presence of many cis-elements related to the regulation of cellular respiration and photosynthesis. In addition, <i>CamTERF</i> promoters contained cis-elements related to phytohormone regulation and stress responses. Differentially expressed genes in different tissues and developmental phases were identified using RNA-seq data, which revealed that <i>CamTERFs</i> exhibit various expression and co-expression patterns. Gene ontology (GO) annotations associated <i>CamTERFs</i> primarily with mitochondrion and chloroplast function and composition. These results contribute towards understanding the role of <i>mTERFs</i> in capsicum growth, development, and stress responses. Moreover, our data assist in the identification of <i>CamTERFs</i> with important functions, which opens avenues for future studies.