Abstract
Main conclusion
Sixteen Lhc genes representing 13 phylogenetic groups were identified from the full-length transcriptome of tigernut, exhibiting development regulation and diurnal fluctuation expression patterns in leaves.
Abstract
Nuclear encoded light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding (Lhc) proteins play indispensable roles in oxygenic photosynthesis. In this study, we present the first transcriptome-based characterization of Lhc family genes in tigernut (Cyperus esculentus L.), a Cyperaceae C4 plant producing oil in underground tubers. A number of 16 Lhc genes representing 13 phylogenetic groups identified from the full-length tigernut transcriptome are equal to that found in both Carex littledalei (another Cyperaceae plant) and papaya, slightly more than 15 members present in both rice and jatropha, but relatively less than 18, 20, and 21 members present in sorghum, cassava, and Arabidopsis, respectively. Nevertheless, nearly one-vs-one orthologous relationship was observed in most groups, though some of them are no longer located in syntenic blocks and species-specific expansion was frequently found in Lhcb1. Comparative genomics analysis revealed that the loss of two groups (i.e., Lhca2 and Lhca5) in C. littledalei is species-specific, sometime after the split with tigernut, and the expansion of Lhcb1 was mainly contributed by tandem duplication as observed in most species. Interestingly, a transposed duplication, which appears to be shared by monocots, was also identified in Lhcb1. Further transcriptome profiling revealed a predominant expression pattern of most CeLhc family genes in photosynthetic tissues and enhanced transcription during leaf maturation, reflecting their key roles in light absorption. Moreover, qRT-PCR analysis revealed an apparent diurnal fluctuation expression pattern of 11 dominant CeLhc genes. These findings not only highlight species-specific evolution of Lhc genes in the Cyperaceae family as well as the monocot lineage, but also provide valuable information for further functional analysis and genetic improvement in tigernut.
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Data availability
Data availability All data analysed during this study are included in Suppl. Table S2.
Abbreviations
- CB:
-
Chlorophyll a/b-binding
- Lhc:
-
Light-harvesting chlorophyll a/b-binding
- Ka:
-
Non-synonymous substitution rate
- Ks:
-
Synonymous substitution rate
- OG:
-
Orthogroup
- WGD:
-
Whole-genome duplication
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This work was supported by the Natural Science Foundation of Hainan province (320RC705), China; the Project of Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City (SCKJ-JYRC-2022-66), China; the Central Public-interest Scientific Institution Basal Research Fund (1630052022001), China; and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31971688), China. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.
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Zou, Z., **ao, Y., Zhang, L. et al. Analysis of Lhc family genes reveals development regulation and diurnal fluctuation expression patterns in Cyperus esculentus, a Cyperaceae plant. Planta 257, 59 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-023-04092-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00425-023-04092-5