Analysis of Physicochemical Characteristics and Expression Characteristics of Lagerstroemia indica GolS Family Genes

doi:10.11983/CBB24118

Abstract

Abstract: INTRODUCTION: Galactinol synthase (GolS) is a key enzyme in the biosynthetic pathway of raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs), providing the activated galactosyl group for the biosynthesis and accumulation of RFOs in plants. It plays an important role in plant responses to abiotic stresses. RATIONALE: Although the role of GolS in plant stress responses has been extensively studied, little is known about the molecular characteristics of the GolSgene family in Lagerstroemia indica. This study aims to identify the members of the LiGolS gene family, analyze their physicochemical properties, gene structure, and expression patterns, and explore their potential functions in salt stress response.RESULTS: A total of 13 LiGolS gene family members were identified at the whole-genome level. These genes were unevenly distributed across 10 chromosomes. The isoelectric points of the 13 LiGolS proteins ranged from 4.75 to 9.45, with molecular weights varying from 37.69 to 46.12 kDa, and amino acid counts ranging from 327 to 404. Subcellular localization prediction revealed that six proteins were localized to chloroplasts, one to mitochondria, five to the cytoplasm, and one to vacuoles. Additionally, the number of exons in the 13 gene members ranged from 0 to 4. Expression analysis under salt stress showed that all LiGolS genes were upregulated to various degrees after salt treatment, suggesting their potential involvement in salt stress response in L. indica.CONCLUSION: This study systematically identified and characterized the LiGolS gene family members in L. indica, including their physicochemical properties, gene structure, and expression patterns. These results lay the foundation for further functional analysis of LiGolS genes and provide theoretical insights into their roles in stress responses.

Expression patterns of LiGolS genes in Lagerstroemia indica under salt treatment
(A) Cloud and rain map of LiGolS gene expression in salt-sensitive L. indica cultivars under normal and salt treatment conditions; (B) Cloud and rain map of LiGolS gene expression in salt-tolerant L. indica cultivars under normal and salt treatment conditions; (C) LiGolS gene expression in different varieties of L. indica under normal and salt treatment conditions; (D) Heatmap of LiGolS gene expression patterns before and under salt treatment, this heatmap illustrated the log₂-transformed expression levels of LiGolS genes before and after salt treatment (yellow modules indicate higher expression levels, while green modules indicate lower expression levels). M-CK and N-CK indicate salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant cultivars under normal conditions, respectively; M-T and N-T indicate salt-sensitive and salt-tolerant groups under salt treatment conditions, respectively.

Key words: Lagerstroemia indica, LiGolS, salt stress

Xu Tiantian, Yang Peijian, Zhou Xiaoxi, Cao Yi, Chen Yanhong, Liu Guoyuan, Zhang Jian, Wei Hui. Analysis of Physicochemical Characteristics and Expression Characteristics of Lagerstroemia indica GolS Family Genes[J]. Chinese Bulletin of Botany, 2025, 60(3): 393-406.

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URL: https://www.chinbullbotany.com/EN/10.11983/CBB24118

https://www.chinbullbotany.com/EN/Y2025/V60/I3/393

Figures/Tables 10

Table 1 Molecular characterization of the LiGolS genes

Gene name	Gene ID	Length (bp)	Number of amino acids (aa)	Molecular weight (kDa)	Theoretical pI	Aliphatic index	Instability index	GRAVY	Subcelluar location
LiGolS1	evm.model.Chr1.208	1215	404	46.00	9.45	92.20	57.70	-0.086	C
LiGolS2	evm.model.Chr3.1524	1146	381	42.91	8.71	82.10	49.57	-0.263	CP
LiGolS3	evm.model.Chr4.803	990	329	37.72	4.75	78.81	50.39	-0.329	C
LiGolS4	evm.model.Chr4.806	990	329	37.85	4.78	78.51	48.28	-0.338	C
LiGolS5	evm.model.Chr5.968	984	327	37.69	4.76	80.76	53.39	-0.318	C
LiGolS6	evm.model.Chr8.101	1050	349	39.71	8.16	90.32	47.76	-0.148	CP
LiGolS7	evm.model.Chr8.200	1164	387	43.06	7.63	87.93	44.71	-0.095	CP
LiGolS8	evm.model.Chr10.348	1125	374	42.24	9.11	93.56	49.52	-0.062	M
LiGolS9	evm.model.Chr18.633	1215	404	46.12	9.22	94.36	51.32	-0.071	CP
LiGolS10	evm.model.Chr22.379	1143	380	42.83	8.32	90.79	49.38	-0.138	V
LiGolS11	evm.model.Chr23.402	1167	388	43.97	9.36	88.97	57.29	-0.151	C
LiGolS12	evm.model.Chr23.618	1149	382	43.30	8.85	94.40	48.35	-0.109	CP
LiGolS13	evm.model.Chr24.816	1038	345	38.60	7.69	92.75	43.61	-0.027	CP

Figure 1 Chromosome localization of LiGolS genes

Figure 2 Collinearity analysis of LiGolS genes The ring, from the outside to the inside, represents the location of genes on chromosomes, gene density and collinear regions (the green lines represent LiGolS genes).

Figure 3 The ratio of non-synonymous (Ka), synonymous (Ks) and Ka/Ks of LiGolS genes The evolutionary pressure of genes can be inferred by calculating the Ka, Ks, and Ka/Ks. The Ka and Ks values of LiGolS genes were calculated using the Simple Ka/Ks_Calculator program of TBtools v2.119. Each circle on the chart represents a collinearity gene pair, and the length of the rod corresponds to the Ka, Ks, and Ka/Ks values at a specific site.

Figure 4 Collinearity analysis of GolS genes among different species The gray lines represent collinear gene pairs, the red lines represent collinear GolS gene pairs. The chromosomes are represented by rectangles of different colors. Orange: Lagerstroemia indica; Green: Arabidopsis thaliana; Purple: Eucalyptus grandis; Yellow: Oryza sativa; Sky blue: Populus trichocarpa; Blue: Salix purpurea; Red: Vitis vinifera

Figure 5 Gene structure of 13 LiGolS genes Untranslated regions (UTRs) are represented by green rectangles, exons are represented by yellow rectangles, and introns are represented by black lines.

Figure 6 Analysis of cis-acting elements of LiGolS genes

Figure 7 Protein-protein interaction of LiGolS

Figure 8 GO analysis of LiGolS genes

Figure 9 Analysis of LiGolS gene expression patterns under salt stress (A) Expression levels of LiGolS genes in the leaves; (B) Expression levels of LiGolS genes in the roots. ns means no statistical significance. * P<0.05; ** P<0.01; *** P<0.001; **** P<0.0001

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