Genome-wide analysis of apple CNGC family allows the identification of MdCNGC15A negatively regulating apple salt tolerance
Lina Qiu,
Chuang Mei,
Zhiping Qi,
Jiaxin Yang,
Na Li,
Ming Li,
Yunxia Sun,
Jie Yang,
Fengwang Ma,
Ke Mao
Affiliations
Lina Qiu
State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
Chuang Mei
The State Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement and Germplasm Innovation of Crop Resistance in Arid Desert Regions (Preparation), Key Laboratory of Genome Research and Genetic Improvement of Xinjiang Characteristic Fruits and Vegetables, Institute of Horticulture Crops, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi, China
Zhiping Qi
State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
Jiaxin Yang
State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
Na Li
State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
Ming Li
State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
Yunxia Sun
State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
Jie Yang
State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China
Fengwang Ma
State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China; Corresponding authors.
Ke Mao
State Key Laboratory for Crop Stress Resistance and High-Efficiency Production/Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Apple, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China; Corresponding authors.
Calcium (Ca2+) is essential for signal conduction and plant growth. Cyclic nucleotide-gated channels (CNGCs) are Ca2+ transporters that regulate Ca2+ signalling and homeostasis by modulating its transmembrane transport, thereby influencing plant development as well as the biotic and abiotic stress responses. Although identified in numerous plant species, the CNGC family has not been characterized in apple until now. Here, 20 MdCNGCs were identified from the apple genome and were randomly distributed on 13 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis classified these MdCNGCs into five groups (I, Ⅱ, Ⅲ, Ⅳ-a, and Ⅳ-b), with five pairs of segmental duplicated genes being detected via collinearity analysis. Sequence alignment and analyses of gene structures, conserved motifs, and 3D structures indicated high structural conservation, particularly within groups. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assays demonstrated interactions between most MdCNGCs and the Ca2+ receptor MdCaM7.1, except for MdCNGC1B and MdCNGC15A. Promoter analysis and expression profiling revealed significant responses to abiotic stress, particularly salt stress, in some MdCNGCs. Silencing MdCNGC15A significantly enhanced apple plants salt tolerance, while its overexpression in apple calli significantly decreased tolerance, as shown by transgenic analysis. Collectively, our results demonstrate the crucial role of MdCNGCs in abiotic stress responses and provide valuable insights for future functional and regulatory studies in apples.
