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Genome-wide identification, characterization, and expression analysis of the expansin gene family in Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.)

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Abstract

Main conclusion 30 expansin genes were identified in the jujube genome. Phylogenetic analysis classified expansins into 17 subgroups. Closely related expansins share a conserved gene structure. ZjEXPs had different expression patterns in different tissues.

Plant-specific expansins were first discovered as pH-dependent cell-wall-loosening proteins involved in diverse physiological processes. No comprehensive analysis of the expansin gene family has yet been carried out at the whole genome level in Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.). In this study, 30 expansin genes were identified in the jujube genome. These genes, which were distributed with varying densities across 10 of the 12 jujube chromosomes, could be divided into four subfamilies: 19 ZjEXPAs, 3 ZjEXPBs, 1 ZjEXLA, and 7 ZjEXLBs. Phylogenetic analysis of expansin genes in Arabidopsis, rice, apple, grape, and jujube classified these genes into 17 subgroups. Members of the same subfamily and subgroup shared conserved gene structure and motif compositions. Homology analysis identified 20 homologous gene pairs between jujube and Arabidopsis. Further analysis of ZjEXP gene promoter regions uncovered various growth, development and stress-responsive cis-acting elements. Expression analysis and transcript profiling revealed that ZjEXPs had different expression patterns in different tissues at various developmental stages. ZjEXPA4 and ZjEXPA6 were highly expressed in young fruits, ZjEXPA3 and ZjEXPA5 were significantly expressed in flowers, and ZjEXPA7 was specifically expressed in young leaves. The results of this study, the first systematic analysis of the jujube expansin gene family, can serve as a strong foundation for further elucidation of the physiological functions and biological roles of jujube expansin genes.

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Abbreviations

EXLA(B):

Expansin-like A(B)

EXPA(B):

α-Expansin (ß-Expansin)

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by grants from the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (2016ZCQ05) and Major Science and Technology Special Project of Xuchang, Henan province (20170112006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Engineering Laboratory for Tree Breeding, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China

    Lu Hou, Xiaoming Pang & Yingyue Li

  2. Beijing Key Laboratory of Ornamental Plants Germplasm Innovation and Molecular Breeding, National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing Laboratory of Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Key Laboratory of Genetics and Breeding in Forest Trees and Ornamental Plants of Ministry of Education, School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China

    Zhiyong Zhang

  3. Henan Longyuan Flowers &Trees Co., Ltd., Xuchang, 461000, China

    Suhan Dou & Yadong Zhang

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  1. Lu Hou
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Hou, L., Zhang, Z., Dou, S. et al. Genome-wide identification, characterization, and expression analysis of the expansin gene family in Chinese jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.). Planta 249, 815–829 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-018-3020-9

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