Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Polygalacturonase Gene Family in Maize ( L.).

Polygalacturonase (PG, EC 3.2.1.15) is a crucial enzyme for pectin degradation and is involved in various developmental processes such as fruit ripening, pollen development, cell expansion, and organ abscission. However, information on the gene family in the maize ( L.) genome and the specific members involved in maize anther development are still lacking. In this study, we identified 55 family genes from the maize genome and further characterized their evolutionary relationship and expression patterns. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that are grouped into six Clades, and gene structures of the same Clade are highly conserved, suggesting their functional conservation. The are randomly distributed across maize chromosomes, and collinearity analysis showed that many might be derived from tandem duplications and segmental duplications, and these genes are under purifying selection. Furthermore, gene expression analysis provided insights into possible functional divergence among . Based on the RNA-seq data analysis, we found that many are expressed in various tissues while 18 are highly expressed in maize anther, and their detailed expression profiles in different anther developmental stages were further investigated by using RT-qPCR analysis. These results provide valuable information for further functional characterization and application of the in maize.