Isolation and expression analysis of glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase genes from peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.)

Abstract

sn-Glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase (GPAT) catalyzes the committed step in the production of glycerolipids. The functions of GPAT genes have been intensively studied in Arabidopsis, but not in peanuts (Arachis hypogaea L.). In this study, six AhGPAT genes were isolated from peanuts. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis indicated that the AhGPAT9 transcript was more abundant in the stems, flowers, and seeds, whereas the transcript abundances of five other genes were higher in the leaves or flowers than in the other tissues examined. During seed development, the transcript levels of AhGPAT9 gradually increased, whereas the transcript levels of the other five genes decreased. In addition, the levels of AhGPAT2 transcript were distinctly enhanced after exposure to all four kinds of stress treatments except for ABA-treated leaves. The transcripts of AhGPAT1, AhGPAT6, AhGPAT8 and AhATS1 increased substantially in roots exposed to salt, drought, and ABA stress. The expressions of AhGPAT6, AhGPAT8, AhGPAT9 and AhATS1 were slightly higher in leaves under certain stress conditions than under normal conditions. The present study provides significant information for modifying oil deposition and improving the abiotic stress resistance of peanuts through molecular breeding.

Keywords

• glycerol-3-phosphate acyltransferase
• peanuts (arachis hypogaea l.)
• phylogenetic analysis
• quantitative real-time rt-pcr