Open AccessIdentification, characterization and functional differentiation of the NAC gene family and its roles in response to cold stress in ginseng, Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer
Author(s) -
Lihe Qian,
Chengfei Sun,
Jiazhuang Han,
Li Li,
Kangyu Wang,
Yanfang Wang,
Jing Chen,
Mingzhu Zhao,
Yi Wang,
Meiping Zhang
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
plos one
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.99
H-Index - 332
ISSN - 1932-6203
DOI - 10.1371/journal.pone.0234423
Subject(s) - gene family , ginseng , gene , biology , arabidopsis , genetics , abiotic stress , gene expression , mutant , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
The NAC gene family is one of the important plant-specific transcription factor families involved in variety of physiological processes. It has been found in several plant species; however, little is known about the gene family in ginseng, Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer. Here we report identification and systematic analysis of this gene family in ginseng. A total of 89 NAC genes, designated PgNAC01 to PgNAC89 , are identified. These genes are alternatively spliced into 251 transcripts at fruiting stage of a four-year-old ginseng plant. The genes of this gene family have five conserved motifs and are clustered into 11 subfamilies, all of which are shared with the genes of the NAC gene families identified in the dicot and monocot model plant species, Arabidopsis and rice. This result indicates that the PgNAC gene family is an ancient and evolutionarily inactive gene family. Gene ontology (GO) analysis shows that the functions of the PgNAC gene family have been substantially differentiated; nevertheless, over 86% the PgNAC transcripts remain functionally correlated. Finally, five of the PgNAC genes, PgNAC05-2 , PgNAC41-2 , PgNAC48 , PgNAC56-1 , and PgNAC59 , are identified to be involved in plant response to cold stress, suggesting that this gene family plays roles in response to cold stress in ginseng. These results, therefore, provide new insights into functional differentiation and evolution of a gene family in plants and gene resources necessary to comprehensively determine the functions of the PgNAC gene family in response to cold and other abiotic stresses in ginseng.