AUTHOR=Saxena Harshita , Negi Harshita , Keshan Radhika , Chitkara Pragya , Kumar Shailesh , Chakraborty Amrita , Roy Amit , Singh Indrakant K. , Singh Archana 

TITLE=A comprehensive investigation of lipid-transfer proteins from Cicer arietinum disentangles their role in plant defense against Helicoverpa armigera-infestation

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Genetics

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/genetics/articles/10.3389/fgene.2023.1195554

DOI=10.3389/fgene.2023.1195554

ISSN=1664-8021

ABSTRACT=<p>Lipid Transfer Proteins (LTPs) play a crucial role in synthesizing lipid barrier polymers and are involved in defense signaling during pest and pathogen attacks. Although LTPs are conserved with multifaceted roles in plants, these are not yet identified and characterized in <italic>Cicer arietinum</italic>. In this study, a genome-wide analysis of LTPs was executed and their physiochemical properties, biochemical function, gene structure analysis, chromosomal localization, promoter analysis, gene duplication, and evolutionary analysis were performed using <italic>in silico</italic> tools. Furthermore, tissue-specific expression analysis and gene expression analysis during pest attack was also conducted for the LTPs. A total of 48 LTPs were identified and named as <italic>CaLTPs</italic>. They were predicted to be small unstable proteins with “Glycolipid transfer protein” and “Alpha-Amylase Inhibitors, Lipid Transfer and Seed Storage” domains, that are translocated to the extracellular region. <italic>CaLTPs</italic> were predicted to possess 3–4 introns and were located on all the eight chromosomes of chickpea with half of the <italic>CaLTPs</italic> being localized on chromosomes 4, 5, and 6, and found to be closely related to LTPs of <italic>Arabidopsis thaliana</italic> and <italic>Medicago trancatula</italic>. Gene duplication and synteny analysis revealed that most of the <italic>CaLTPs</italic> have evolved due to tandem or segmental gene duplication and were subjected to purifying selection during evolution. The promoters of <italic>CaLTPs</italic> had development-related, phytohormone-responsive, and abiotic and biotic stress-related cis-acting elements. A few <italic>CaLTP</italic> transcripts exhibited differential expression in diverse tissue types, while others showed no/very low expression. Out of 20 jasmonate-regulated <italic>CaLTPs</italic>, 14 exhibited differential expression patterns during <italic>Helicoverpa armigera</italic>–infestation, indicating their role in plant defense response. This study identified and characterized <italic>CaLTPs</italic> from an important legume, <italic>C. arietinum</italic>, and indicated their involvement in plant defense against <italic>H. armigera</italic>-infestation, which can be further utilized to explore lipid signaling during plant-pest interaction and pest management.</p>