Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of GARP Transcription Factor Gene Family Members Reveal Their Diverse Functions in Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis)

• DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.947072
• Publication Date: 2022-06-30T10:36:40Z
• Authors: Chuan Yue; Qianqian Chen; Juan Hu; Congcong Li; Liyong Luo; Liang Zeng
• Keywords: 0301 basic medicine; Gene duplication; Segmental duplication; GARP transcription factor; Plant Science; Gene; Camellia sinensis; SB1-1110; Molecular Mechanisms of Plant Development and Regulation; Agricultural and Biological Sciences; 03 medical and health sciences; Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology; Genetics; Functional divergence; expression analysis; Molecular Responses to Abiotic Stress in Plants; Molecular Biology; Biology; Genome; Botany; Plant culture; Life Sciences; stress response; 15. Life on land; Abiotic stress; Phylogenetics; tea plant; Molecular Mechanisms of Pollen Development and Function; FOS: Biological sciences; nitrogen response; Transcription factor; Gene family; Transcription Factors; Phylogenetic tree

Golden2, ARR-B, Psr1 (GARP) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors that play vital and diverse roles in plants. However, systematic research on the GARP gene family in plants, including tea plant (Camellia sinensis), is scarce. In this study, a total of 69 GARP genes were identified and characterized from the tea plant genome based on the B-motif sequence signature. The CsGARP genes were clustered into five subfamilies: PHR1/PHL1, KAN, NIGT1/HRS1/HHO, GLK and ARR-B subfamilies. The phylogenetic relationships, gene structures, chromosomal locations, conserved motifs and regulatory cis-acting elements of the CsGARP family members were comprehensively analyzed. The expansion of CsGARP genes occurred via whole-genome duplication/segmental duplication, proximal duplication, and dispersed duplication under purifying selective pressure. The expression patterns of the CsGARP genes were systematically explored from various perspectives: in different tissues during different seasons; in different leaf color stages of tea plant; under aluminum treatment and nitrogen treatment; and in response to abiotic stresses such as cold, drought and salt and to biotic stress caused by Acaphylla theae. The results demonstrate that CsGARP family genes are ubiquitously expressed and play crucial roles in the regulation of growth and development of tea plant and the responses to environmental stimuli. Collectively, these results not only provide valuable information for further functional investigations of CsGARPs in tea plant but also contribute to broadening our knowledge of the functional diversity of GARP family genes in plants.