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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2023, Vol. 22 Issue (2): 371-388    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2022.08.091
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Identification, evolution, expression and protein interaction analysis of genes encoding B-box zinc-finger proteins in maize

XU Xiao-hui1*, LI Wen-lan3*, YANG Shu-ke1, ZHU Xiang-zhen2, SUN Hong-wei1, LI Fan1, LU Xing-bo1, CUI Jin-jie2

1 Shandong Key Laboratory of Plant Virology/Institute of Plant Protection, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, P.R.China

2 State Key Laboratory of Cotton Biology/Institute of Cotton Research, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Anyang 455000, P.R.China

3 Maize Research Institute, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, P.R.China

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摘要  

B-box(BBX)基因家族编码的蛋白是由包含锌指结构的转录因子组成,其N端有一个或两个高度保守的B-box基序。BBX蛋白在植物生长发育的各个方面起着至关重要的作用,包括幼苗的光形态发生、避荫、开花时间以及生物和非生物胁迫响应。目前,各国的研究者已经从几种植物中鉴定了BBX的家族成员,然而玉米中的BBX家族成员还知之甚少。通过对玉米BBX家族基因的全基因组鉴定、表达和互作的综合分析,可为了解其功能提供有用信息。本研究共鉴定出36个玉米BBX家族成员,进化分析显示其分布于三个主要分支。在每个主分支中ZmBBXs都具有相似的结构域、基序和基因组结构。基因重复分析表明,玉米BBX蛋白家族的扩张主要是通过片段重复来完成的。利用实时荧光定量PCR技术,本研究分析了ZmBBXs在不同器官组织和不同非生物胁迫条件下的表达。利用生物信息学工具,本研究建立了ZmBBXs蛋白的相互作用网络,并通过双分子荧光互补(BiFC)试验进行了验证。本研究的发现有助于理解ZmBBX家族的复杂性,并为揭示ZmBBX蛋白的生物学功能提供新的线索。



Abstract  

The B-box (BBX) family of proteins consists of zinc-finger transcription factors with one or two highly conserved B-box motifs at their N-termini.  BBX proteins play crucial roles in various aspects of plant growth and development, including seedling photomorphogenesis, shade avoidance, flowering time, and biotic and abiotic stress responses.  Previous studies have identified many different BBXs from several plant species, although the BBX family members in maize are largely unknown.  Genome-wide identification and comprehensive analysis of maize BBX (ZmBBX) expression and interaction networks would therefore provide valuable information for understanding their functions.  In this study, 36 maize BBXs in three major clades were identified.  The ZmBBXs within a given clade were found to share similar domains, motifs, and genomic structures.  Gene duplication analyses revealed that the expansion of BBX proteins in maize has mainly occurred by segmental duplication.  The expression levels of ZmBBXs were analyzed in various organs and tissues, and under different abiotic stress conditions.  Protein–protein interaction networks of ZmBBXs were established using bioinformatic tools and verified by bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC) assays.  Our findings can facilitate a greater understanding of the complexity of the ZmBBX family and provide novel clues for unravelling ZmBBX protein functions

Keywords:  maize       B-box family protein              evolution              expression              protein interaction  
Received: 24 June 2021   Accepted: 23 November 2021
Fund: This work was financially supported by grants from the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province, China (ZR2018LC005 and ZR2019BC107) and the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Project of Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, China (CXGC2022C02). 
About author:  Correspondence LU Xing-bo, E-mail: luxb99@sina.com; CUI Jin-jie, E-mail: aycuijinjie@163.com * These authors have contributed equally to this work.

Cite this article: 

XU Xiao-hui, LI Wen-lan, YANG Shu-ke, ZHU Xiang-zhen, SUN Hong-wei, LI Fan, LU Xing-bo, CUI Jin-jie. 2023. Identification, evolution, expression and protein interaction analysis of genes encoding B-box zinc-finger proteins in maize. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 22(2): 371-388.

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