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Identification and expression analysis of group 3 LEA family genes in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]

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Abstract

Sorghum with its remarkable adaptability to drought and high temperature provides a model system for grass genomics and resource for gene discovery especially for abiotic stress tolerance. Group 3 LEA genes from barley and rice have been shown to play crucial role in abiotic stress tolerance. Here, we present a genome-wide analysis of LEA3 genes in sorghum. We identified four genes encoding LEA3 proteins in the sorghum genome and further classified them into LEA3A and LEA3B subgroups based on the conservation of LEA3 specific motifs. Further, expression pattern of these genes were analyzed in seeds during development and vegetative tissues under abiotic stresses. SbLEA3A group genes showed expression at early stage of seed development and increased significantly at maturity, while SbLEA3B group genes expressed only in matured seeds. Expression of SbLEA3 genes in response to abiotic stresses such as soil moisture deficit (drought), osmotic, salt, and temperature stresses, and exogenous ABA treatments was also studied in the leaves of 2-weeks-old seedlings. ABA and drought induced the expression of all LEA3 genes, while cold and heat stress induced none of them. Promoter analysis revealed the presence of multiple ABRE core cis-elements and a few low temperature response (LTRE)/drought responsive (DRE) cis-elements. This study suggests non-redundant function of LEA3 genes in seed development and stress tolerance in sorghum.

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Acknowledgments

The study was supported by the grant from Indian Council of Agricultural Research-National Agricultural Innovation Project (ICAR-NAIP). Authors acknowledge Dr. Viswanathan Chinnusamy for critical reading of the manuscript.

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  1. Monika Dalal

    Present address: National Research Centre on Plant Biotechnology, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Directorate of Sorghum Research, Rajendra Nagar, Hyderabad, India

    Monika Dalal, G. Sandeep Kumar & Karthikeyan Mayandi

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  1. Monika Dalal
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  2. G. Sandeep Kumar
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  3. Karthikeyan Mayandi
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Correspondence to Monika Dalal.

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Communicated by Z.-L. Zhang.

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Dalal, M., Sandeep Kumar, G. & Mayandi, K. Identification and expression analysis of group 3 LEA family genes in sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench]. Acta Physiol Plant 35, 979–984 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-012-1123-7

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