文献类型： 外文期刊

作者： Cai, Xinkai ¹ ; Li, Denglin ¹ ; Liu, Chaojia ¹ ; Chen, Jiayi ¹ ; Wei, Xiuqing ² ; Hu, Sitong ¹ ; Lu, Lin ¹ ; Chen, Shengzhen ¹ ; Yao, Qinglong ¹ ; Xie, Shiyu ¹ ; Xu, Xiaowen ¹ ; Liu, Ruoyu ¹ ; Qin, Yuan ¹ ; Zheng, Ping ¹ ;

作者机构： 1.Fujian Agr & Forestry Univ, Haixia Inst Sci & Technol, Coll Life Sci, Coll Marine Sci,Fujian Prov Key Lab Haixia Appl Pl, Fuzhou 350002, Peoples R China

2.Fujian Acad Agr Sci, Fruit Res Inst, Fuzhou 350013, Fujian, Peoples R China

关键词： GRAS gene family; Transcriptional regulation; Plant development; Stress response; Molecular breeding; Passion fruit

期刊名称：PLANT CELL REPORTS （ 影响因子：4.5； 五年影响因子：6.1 ）

ISSN： 0721-7714

年卷期： 2025 年 44 卷 2 期

页码：

收录情况： SCI

摘要： Key messageTwenty-nine GRAS genes were identified in passion fruit, the N-terminal regions and 3D (three-dimensional) structures were closely related with their tissue-specific expression patterns. Candidate PeGRASs for enhancing stress resistance were identified.AbstractPassion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) is a tropical fruit crop with significant edible and ornamental value, but its growth and development are highly sensitive to environmental conditions. The plant-specific GRAS gene family plays critical roles in regulating growth, development, and stress responses. Here, we performed the first comprehensive analysis of the GRAS gene family in passion fruit. A total of 29 GRAS genes were identified and named PeGRAS1 to PeGRAS29 based on their chromosomal locations. Phylogenetic analysis using GRAS proteins from passion fruit, Arabidopsis, and rice revealed that PeGRAS proteins could be classified into 10 subfamilies. Compared to Arabidopsis, passion fruit lacked members from the LAS subfamily but gained one GRAS member (PeGRAS9) clustered with the rice-specific Os4 subfamily. Structural analysis performed in silico revealed that most PeGRAS members were intron less and exhibited conserved motif patterns near the C-terminus, while the N-terminal regions varied in sequence length and composition. Members within certain subfamilies including DLT, PAT1, and LISCL with similar unstructured N-terminal regions and 3D structures, exhibited similar tissue-specific expression patterns. While PeGRAS members with difference in these structural features, even within the same subfamily (e.g., DELLA), displayed distinct expression patterns. These findings highlighted that the N-terminal regions of GRAS proteins may be critical for their specific functions. Moreover, many PeGRAS members, particularly those from the PAT1 subfamily, were widely involved in stress responses, with PeGRAS19 and PeGRAS26 likely playing roles in cold tolerance, and PeGRAS25 and PeGRAS28 in drought resistance. This study provides a foundation for further functional research on PeGRASs and offers potential candidates for molecular breeding aimed at enhancing stress tolerance in passion fruit.