Calcium-Dependent Protein Kinase Genes in <i>Glycyrrhiza Uralensis</i> Appear to be Involved in Promoting the Biosynthesis of Glycyrrhizic Acid and Flavonoids under Salt Stress
Xuechen Tong,
Aiping Cao,
Fei Wang,
Xifeng Chen,
Shuangquan Xie,
Haitao Shen,
Xiang Jin,
Hongbin Li
Affiliations
Xuechen Tong
Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
Aiping Cao
Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
Fei Wang
Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
Xifeng Chen
Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
Shuangquan Xie
Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
Haitao Shen
Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
Xiang Jin
Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
Hongbin Li
Key Laboratory of Xinjiang Phytomedicine Resource and Utilization of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi 832003, China
As calcium signal sensors, calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs) play vital roles in stimulating the production of secondary metabolites to participate in plant development and response to environmental stress. However, investigations of the Glycyrrhiza uralensis CPK family genes and their multiple functions are rarely reported. In this study, a total of 23 GuCPK genes in G. uralensis were identified, and their phylogenetic relationships, evolutionary characteristics, gene structure, motif distribution, and promoter cis-acting elements were analyzed. Ten GuCPKs showed root-specific preferential expressions, and GuCPKs indicated different expression patterns under treatments of CaCl2 and NaCl. In addition, under 2.5 mM of CaCl2 and 30 mM of NaCl treatments, the diverse, induced expression of GuCPKs and significant accumulations of glycyrrhizic acid and flavonoids suggested the possible important function of GuCPKs in regulating the production of glycyrrhizic acid and flavonoids. Our results provide a genome-wide characterization of CPK family genes in G. uralensis, and serve as a foundation for understanding the potential function and regulatory mechanism of GuCPKs in promoting the biosynthesis of glycyrrhizic acid and flavonoids under salt stress.
