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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2022, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (1): 118-130.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2021189

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Genome-wide identification of the alfalfa TCP gene family and analysis of gene transcription patterns in alfalfa (Medicago sativa) under drought stress

Na WEI(), Yan-peng LI, Yi-tong MA, Wen-xian LIU()   

  1. State Key Laboratory of Grassland Argo-ecosystems,Key Laboratory of Grassland Livestock Industry Innovation,Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs,Engineering Research Center of Grassland Industry,Ministry of Education,College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology,Lanzhou University,Lanzhou 730020,China
  • Received:2021-05-07 Revised:2021-07-07 Online:2021-12-01 Published:2021-12-01
  • Contact: Wen-xian LIU

Abstract:

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is the most important legume forage in the world. However, its yield and geographical distribution are often influenced by drought. Transcription factors play important regulatory roles in alfalfa’s response to drought stress. Teosinte branched 1/cycloidea/pro-liferating cell factors (TCP) is a plant-specific transcription factor with important functions in plant growth, development, and stress resistance. However, its distribution and potential function in the response to drought stress have not been reported. To explore the responses of functional genes to drought stress in alfalfa, we identified members of the TCP gene family in alfalfa using bioinformatic methods. Further analyses were conducted to clarify the phylogeny and determine their gene structure, chromosome location, collinearity, and transcriptional patterns under drought stress. Our analyses identified 40 MsTCP genes that were unevenly distributed among the 20 chromosomes in the alfalfa genome. Among the MsTCP genes, 17 pairs were paralogous genes arising from gene fragment replication events. In a phylogenetic analysis, MsTCP genes formed two large branches and clustered into three subfamilies (PCF, CIN, and CYC/TB1). Conserved domain analyses revealed that members in the same branch of the phylogenetic tree contain TCP domains with the same number of amino acids, and that the members of the same subfamily have similar conserved motifs and gene structures. Analyses of transcriptome data from alfalfa under drought stress revealed four MsTCP genes (MsTCP23MsTCP27MsTCP29, and MsTCP33) that may be involved in the drought response. The results of qRT-PCR analyses confirmed that these four genes were significantly up-regulated in roots and leaves of plants under a simulated drought (polyethylene glycol) treatment, providing further evidence that they participate in the drought response. These results lay the foundation for further research on the response to drought stress in alfalfa, and will be useful for generating new varieties of drought-resistant alfalfa using genetic engineering technology.

Key words: alfalfa, phylogenetic analysis, drought stress, gene expression analysis