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Genome-wide identification and characterization of aquaporin gene family in moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis)

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Abstract

Aquaporins (AQPs) are known to play a major role in maintaining water and hydraulic conductivity balance in the plant system. Numerous studies have showed AQPs execute multi-function throughout plant growth and development, including water transport, nitrogen, carbon, and micronutrient acquisition etc. However, little information on AQPs is known in bamboo. In this study, we present the first genome-wide identification and characterization of AQP genes in moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) using bioinformatics. In total, 26 AQP genes were identified by homologous analysis, which were divided into four groups (PIPs, TIPs, NIPs, and SIPs) based on the phylogenetic analysis. All the genes were located on 26 different scaffolds respectively on basis of the gene mapped to bamboo genome. Evolutionary analysis indicated that Ph. edulis was more close to Oryza sativa than Zea mays in the genetic relationship. Besides, qRT-PCR was used to analyze gene expression profiles, which revealed that AQP genes were expressed constitutively in all the detected tissues, and were all responsive to the environmental cues such as drought, water, and NaCl stresses. This data suggested that AQPs may play fundamental roles in maintaining normal growth and development of bamboo, which would contribute to better understanding for the complex regulation mechanism involved in the fast-growing process of bamboo. Furthermore, the result could provide valuable information for further research on bamboo functional genomics.

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Abbreviations

AQP:

Aquaporin

Bp:

Base pair

cDNA:

DNA complementary to RNA

CDS:

Coding DNA sequence

DNase:

Deoxyribonuclease

dNTP:

Deoxyribonucleoside triphosphate

ER:

Endoplasmic reticulum

kDa:

Kilodalton

MW:

Molecular weight

NIP:

Nodulin 26-like intrinsic protein

pI:

Isoelectric point

PIP:

Plasma membrane intrinsic protein

qRT-PCR:

Quantitative real-time PCR

SIP:

Small basic intrinsic protein

TIP:

Tonoplast intrinsic protein

TM:

Transmembrane

XIPs:

Unrecognized X intrinsic proteins

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Acknowledgments

The work was supported by the Special Fund for Forest Scientific Research in the Public Welfare from State Forestry Administration of China [No. 201504106] and the Sub-Project of National Science and Technology Support Plan of the twelfth five-year in China [Nos. 2015BAD04B01 and 2015BAD04B03].

Authors’ contributions

HYS and ZMG designed the experiments; HYS and LCL performed experiments; HYS, YFL, and ZMG analyzed data; YFL, LCL, HSZ and HYS contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools; HYS and ZMG wrote the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. State Forestry Administration Key Open Laboratory on the Science and Technology of Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing, 100102, China

      Huayu Sun, Lichao Li, Yongfeng Lou, Hansheng Zhao & Zhimin Gao

    2. Institute of Gene Science for Bamboo and Rattan Resources, International Center for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing, 100102, China

      Huayu Sun, Lichao Li, Yongfeng Lou, Hansheng Zhao & Zhimin Gao

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    1. Huayu Sun
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    Correspondence to Zhimin Gao.

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    The authors Huayu Sun and Lichao Li have contributed equally to this work.

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    Sun, H., Li, L., Lou, Y. et al. Genome-wide identification and characterization of aquaporin gene family in moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis). Mol Biol Rep 43, 437–450 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-016-3973-3

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