AUTHOR=Xie Meili , Zuo Rong , Bai Zetao , Yang Lingli , Zhao Chuanji , Gao Feng , Cheng Xiaohui , Huang Junyan , Liu Yueying , Li Yang , Tong Chaobo , Liu Shengyi 

TITLE=Genome-Wide Characterization of Serine/Arginine-Rich Gene Family and Its Genetic Effects on Agronomic Traits of Brassica napus

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.829668

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2022.829668

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>Serine/arginine-rich (SR) proteins are indispensable factors for RNA splicing, and they play important roles in development and abiotic stress responses. However, little information on <italic>SR</italic> genes in <italic>Brassica napus</italic> is available. In this study, 59 <italic>SR</italic> genes were identified and classified into seven subfamilies: SR, SCL, RS2Z, RSZ, RS, SR45, and SC. In each subfamily, the genes showed relatively conserved structures and motifs, but displayed distinct expression patterns in different tissues and under abiotic stress, which might be caused by the varied <italic>cis</italic>-acting regulatory elements among them. Transcriptome datasets from Pacbio/Illumina platforms showed that alternative splicing of <italic>SR</italic> genes was widespread in <italic>B. napus</italic> and the majority of paralogous gene pairs displayed different splicing patterns. Protein-protein interaction analysis indicated that SR proteins were involved in the regulation of the whole lifecycle of mRNA, from synthesis to decay. Moreover, the association mapping analysis suggested that 12 <italic>SR</italic> genes were candidate genes for regulating specific agronomic traits, which indicated that <italic>SR</italic> genes could affect the development and hence influence the important agronomic traits of <italic>B. napus</italic>. In summary, this study provided elaborate information on <italic>SR</italic> genes in <italic>B. napus</italic>, which will aid further functional studies and genetic improvement of agronomic traits in <italic>B. napus</italic>.</p>