AUTHOR=Li Xiongwei , Hu Yang , Su Mingshen , Zhang Minghao , Du Jihong , Zhou Huijuan , Zhang Xianan , Ye Zhengwen 

TITLE=Genome-wide analysis of terpene synthase gene family to explore candidate genes related to disease resistance in Prunus persica

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.1032838

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2022.1032838

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>In plants, a family of terpene synthases (TPSs) is responsible for the biosynthesis of terpenes and contributes to species-specific diversity of volatile organic compounds, which play essential roles in fitness of plants. However, little is known about the <italic>TPS</italic> gene family in peach and/or nectarine (<italic>Prunus persica</italic> L.). In this study, we identified 40 <italic>PpTPS</italic> genes in peach genome v2.0. Although these <italic>PpTPSs</italic> could be clustered into five classes, they distribute in several gene clusters of three chromosomes, share conserved exon-intron organizations, and code similar protein motifs. Thirty-five <italic>PpTPSs</italic>, especially <italic>PpTPS2</italic>, <italic>PpTPS23</italic>, <italic>PpTPS17</italic>, <italic>PpTPS18</italic>, and <italic>PpTPS19</italic>, altered their transcript levels after inoculation with <italic>Botryosphaeria dothidea</italic>, a cause of peach gummosis, compared to the mock treatments, which might further affect the contents of 133 terpenoids at 48 hours and/or 84 hours post inoculations in the current-year shoots of ‘Huyou018’, a highly susceptible nectarine cultivar. Moreover, about fifteen <italic>PpTPSs</italic>, such as <italic>PpTPS1</italic>, <italic>PpTPS2</italic>, <italic>PpTPS3</italic>, and <italic>PpTPS5</italic>, showed distinct expression patterns during fruit development and ripening in two peach cultivars, yellow-fleshed ‘Jinchun’ and white-fleshed ‘Hikawa Hakuho’. Among them, the transcription level of chloroplast-localized <italic>PpTPS3</italic> was obviously related to the content of linalool in fruit pulps. In addition, elevated concentrations (0.1 g/L to 1.0 g/L) of linalool showed antifungal activities in PDA medium. These results improve our understanding of peach <italic>PpTPS</italic> genes and their potential roles in defense responses against pathogens.</p>