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Journal of Integrative Agriculture  2023, Vol. 22 Issue (7): 2080-2093    DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2023.05.024
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Genome-wide identification and function analysis of the sucrose phosphate synthase MdSPS gene family in apple
ZHANG Li-hua1, 2, ZHU Ling-cheng2, XYu1, LÜ Long1, LXing-guo1, LWen-hui1, LIU Wan-da3, MFeng-wang2, LMing-jun2#, HAN De-guo1#

1The Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Northeast Region), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/National–Local Joint Engineering Research Center for Development and Utilization of Small Fruits in Cold Regions, College of Horticulture & Landscape Architecture, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, P.R.China

2State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology for Arid Areas/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, P.R.China

3Horticulture Branch, Heilongjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Harbin 150040, P.R.China

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摘要  

蔗糖磷酸合成酶(SPS是蔗糖合成途径中的限速酶,与磷酸蔗糖磷酸酶SPP形成复合体共同催化合成蔗糖,在植物生长发育过程中提供能量并在果实品质提升方面发挥着重要作用。目前,关于苹果SPS基因家族的进化模式及系统性分析的研究较少。本研究从苹果基因组GDDH13 v1.1中鉴定了7MdSPS基因和4MdSPP基因,并分析了其基因结构、基因启动子顺式元件、蛋白保守基序、亚细胞定位和生理生化特性。染色体定位和基因组复制分析表明,全基因组复制(WGD)和片段复制是MdSPS基因家族进化的主要方式,MdSPS基因Ka/Ks比值分析指出该家族成员在驯化过程中经历了较强的纯化选择。根据系统发育关系将SPS基因划分为3个亚家族,并观察到基因亚家族间古老的基因复制事件和差异显著的进化速率。此外,根据金冠富士秦冠蜜脆四个苹果品种果实发育过程中可溶性糖含量与SPS家族基因表达水平的相关性,鉴定了一个蔗糖积累相关的关键基因MdSPSA2.3随后通过病毒诱导MdSPSA2.3基因沉默证实了基因在苹果果实蔗糖积累中的重要功能。本研究为更好地阐明MdSPS基因在苹果果实发育过程中的生物学功能奠定了理论基础。



Abstract  

Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) is a rate-limiting enzyme that works in conjunction with sucrose-6-phosphate phosphatase (SPP) for sucrose synthesis, and it plays an essential role in energy provisioning during growth and development in plants as well as improving fruit quality.  However, studies on the systematic analysis and evolutionary pattern of the SPS gene family in apple are still lacking.  In the present study, a total of seven MdSPS and four MdSPP genes were identified from the Malus domestica genome GDDH13 v1.1.  The gene structures and their promoter cis-elements, protein conserved motifs, subcellular localizations, physiological functions and biochemical properties were analyzed.  A chromosomal location and gene-duplication analysis demonstrated that whole-genome duplication (WGD) and segmental duplication played vital roles in MdSPS gene family expansion.  The Ka/Ks ratio of pairwise MdSPS genes indicated that the members of this family have undergone strong purifying selection during domestication.  Furthermore, three SPS gene subfamilies were classified based on phylogenetic relationships, and old gene duplications and significantly divergent evolutionary rates were observed among the SPS gene subfamilies.  In addition, a major gene related to sucrose accumulation (MdSPSA2.3) was identified according to the highly consistent trends in the changes of its expression in four apple varieties (‘Golden Delicious’, ‘Fuji’, ‘Qinguan’ and ‘Honeycrisp’) and the correlation between gene expression and soluble sugar content during fruit development.  Furthermore, the virus-induced silencing of MdSPSA2.3 confirmed its function in sucrose accumulation in apple fruit.  The present study lays a theoretical foundation for better clarifying the biological functions of the MdSPS genes during apple fruit development.

Keywords:  apple        sucrose phosphate synthase        evolutionary pattern        expression profile        sugar accumulation  
Received: 23 December 2022   Accepted: 11 May 2023
Fund: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32172521), the Excellent Youth Science Foundation of Heilongjiang Province, China (YQ2023C006), the Talent Introduction Program of Northeast Agricultural University of China, and the Collaborative Innovation System of the Agricultural Bio-economy in Heilongjiang Province, China.
About author:  #Correspondence HAN De-guo, Tel: +86-451-55191191, E-mail: deguohan@neau.edu.cn; LI Ming-jun, Tel: +86-29-87082613, E-mail: limingjun@nwsuaf.edu.cn

Cite this article: 

ZHANG Li-hua, ZHU Ling-cheng, XU Yu, LÜ Long, LI Xing-guo, LI Wen-hui, LIU Wan-da, MA Feng-wang, LI Ming-jun, HAN De-guo. 2023. Genome-wide identification and function analysis of the sucrose phosphate synthase MdSPS gene family in apple. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 22(7): 2080-2093.

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