Identification of WUSCHEL-related homeobox gene and truncated small peptides in transformation efficiency improvement in Eucalyptus.

BMC Plant Biol

State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding, National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.

Published: November 2023

AI Article Synopsis

  • The study investigates the role of WOX genes, important for plant growth, in Eucalyptus, a widely cultivated fast-growing tree species.
  • Nine WOX genes (EgWOX1-EgWOX9) were identified from Eucalyptus grandis, with a focus on the Modern/WUS group containing a unique amino acid domain which aids in meristem development and regeneration.
  • The research shows that adding specific peptides from the WUS domain can significantly improve transformation efficiency, enhancing breeding practices for Eucalyptus.

Article Abstract

Background: The WUSCHEL-related Homeobox (WOX) genes, which encode plant-specific homeobox (HB) transcription factors, play crucial roles in regulating plant growth and development. However, the functions of WOX genes are little known in Eucalyptus, one of the fastest-growing tree resources with considerable widespread cultivation worldwide.

Results: A total of nine WOX genes named EgWOX1-EgWOX9 were retrieved and designated from Eucalyptus grandis. From the three divided clades marked as Modern/WUS, Intermediate and Ancient, the largest group Modern/WUS (6 EgWOXs) contains a specific domain with 8 amino acids: TLQLFPLR. The collinearity, cis-regulatory elements, protein-protein interaction network and gene expression analysis reveal that the WUS proteins in E. grandis involve in regulating meristems development and regeneration. Furthermore, by externally adding of truncated peptides isolated from WUS specific domain, the transformation efficiency in E. urophylla × E. grandis DH32-29 was significant enhanced. The transcriptomics data further reveals that the use of small peptides activates metabolism pathways such as starch and sucrose metabolism, phenylpropanoid biosynthesis and flavonoid biosynthesis.

Conclusions: Peptides isolated from WUS protein can be utilized to enhance the transformation efficiency in Eucalyptus, thereby contributing to the high-efficiency breeding of Eucalyptus.

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Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10688041PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12870-023-04617-wDOI Listing

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