Danni Zhou

Fatty acyl-CoA reductase (FAR) is an important NADPH-dependent enzyme that can produce primary alcohol from fatty acyl-CoA or fatty acyl-carrier proteins as substrates. It plays a pivotal role in plant growth, development, and stress resistance. Herein, we performed genome-wide identification and expression analysis of FAR members in rice using bioinformatics methods. A total of eight OsFAR genes were identified, and the OsFARs were comprehensively analyzed in terms of phylogenetic relationships, duplication events, protein motifs, etc. The cis-elements of the OsFARs were predicted to respond to growth and development, light, hormones, and abiotic stresses. Gene ontology annotation analysis revealed that OsFAR proteins participate in biological processes as fatty acyl-CoA reductase during lipid metabolism. Numerous microRNA target sites were present in OsFARs mRNAs. The expression analysis showed that OsFARs were expressed at different levels during different developmental periods and in various tissues. Furthermore, the expression levels of OsFARs were altered under abiotic stresses, suggesting that FARs may be involved in abiotic stress tolerance in rice. The findings presented here serve as a solid basis for further exploring the functions of OsFARs.

Stearoyl-acyl carrier protein (ACP) Δ9 desaturase (SAD) is a critical fatty acid dehydrogenase in plants, playing a prominent role in regulating the synthesis of unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) and having a significant impact on plant growth and development. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive genomic analysis of the SAD family in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), identifying 14 HvSADs with the FA_desaturase_2 domain, which were divided into four subgroups based on sequence composition and phylogenetic analysis, with members of the same subgroup possessing similar genes and motif structures. Gene replication analysis suggested that tandem and segmental duplication may be the major reasons for the expansion of the SAD family in barley. The promoters of HvSADs contained various cis-regulatory elements (CREs) related to light, abscisic acid (ABA), and methyl jasmonate (MeJA). In addition, expression analysis indicated that HvSADs exhibit multiple tissue expression patterns in barley as well as different response characteristics under three abiotic stresses: salt, drought, and cold. Briefly, this evolutionary and expression analysis of HvSADs provides insight into the biological functions of barley, supporting a comprehensive analysis of the regulatory mechanisms of oil biosynthesis and metabolism in plants under abiotic stress.

In plants, the essential roles played by the regulator of chromosome condensation 1 (RCC1) in diverse biological processes, including UV-B (ultraviolet-B radiation) response, hormonal signal transduction, cold tolerance and phenotypic plasticity, have been identified. No comprehensive study on the evolution and function of RCC1 gene family in rice has been carried out. A genome-wide analysis of this gene family is thus required. In this study, a total of 26 OsRCC1s unevenly distributed across 10 chromosomes were identified in rice. Based on their phylogenetic relationship and sequence composition, the OsRCC1 family could be classified into six groups. Members within the same group share a similar gene structure and protein motif/domain composition. Gene duplication analysis revealed that segmental duplication might be the main contributor to the expansion of the RCC1 gene family in rice. Several cis-regulatory elements (CREs) relevant to light, abscisic acid (ABA) and methyl jasmonate (MeJA) are abundant in the promoters of OsRCC1s. A large number of microRNA (miRNA) target sites were present in OsRCC1 mRNAs. Additionally, we used data from gene microarray and qRT-PCR to analyze the expression of OsRCC1 genes during various developmental stages and under abiotic stress conditions. OsRCC1s were found to be highly expressed in panicles and seeds, and most OsRCC1s were differentially expressed under abiotic stresses. Taken together, our study provides a systematic characterization of OsRCC1s and preliminarily explores their diversity as well as their biological functions. Evidence demonstrates that OsRCC1s may play vital roles in both development and abiotic stress response. The results presented here lay a foundation for further investigating the functions of OsRCC1s.