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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Genet.
Sec. Genomics of Plants and the Phytoecosystem
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fgene.2025.1436285

Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of GRAS transcription factors under cold stress in diploid and triploid Eucalyptus

Provisionally accepted
Jiannan Liu Jiannan Liu Hao Chen Hao Chen Chenhe Li Chenhe Li Kang Du Kang Du *Jun Yang Jun Yang *
  • Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    The GRAS [GRI (Gibberellic Acid Insensitive), RGA (Repressor of GAI-3 mutant), and SCR (Scarecrow)] transcription factors play a pivotal role in the development and stress responses of plants.Eucalyptus is an important fast-growing tree species worldwide, yet its poor cold tolerance limits its cultivation range. This study conducted a bioinformatics analysis of EgrGRAS family and investigated the expression patterns of GRAS genes in different ploidy Eucalyptus under cold treatment, laying the foundation for the functional study of GRAS genes and the breeding of cold-resistant Eucalyptus varieties. This study identified In this study, a total of 92 EgrGRAS genes, which were divided into eight subfamilies. Interspecies synteny analysis found that Eucalyptus grandis and Populus trichocarpa have more syntenic GRAS gene pairs. Chromosome localization analysis revealed that 90 EgrGRAS genes were found to be unevenly distributed across 11 chromosomes. Gene structure analysis found similar intron-exon structures in EgrGRAS genes. Protein motif analysis revealed that proteins within the same subfamily have certain structural similarities. The physical and chemical properties of the proteins encoded by EgrGRAS genes vary, but the ranges of amino acid numbers, molecular weights, and isoelectric points (pI) are similar to those of GRAS proteins from other species. Subcellular localization prediction using software found that 56 members of EgrGRAS family are localized in the nucleus, with a few members localized in the cytoplasm, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. Tobacco subcellular localization experiments verified a nuclear-localized GRAS transcription factor. Cis-acting element analysis predicted that EgrGRAS genes are involved in the growth as well as the response to hormones, light induction, and low-temperature stress. Transcriptome data analysis and real-time quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) experiments in diploid and triploid Eucalyptus urophylla found that some EgrGRAS genes exhibited upregulated expression under different cold treatment durations, with certain genes from the LISCL, PAT1, and DELLA subfamilies significantly upregulated in triploid Eucalyptus.

    Keywords: GRAS, Genome-wide analysis, low temperaturecold stress, Eucalyptus, Triploid

    Received: 21 May 2024; Accepted: 07 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Liu, Chen, Li, Du and Yang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence:
    Kang Du, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
    Jun Yang, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China

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