AUTHOR=Zhong Chao , He Zehua , Liu Yu , Li Zhao , Wang Xiaoguang , Jiang Chunji , Kang Shuli , Liu Xibo , Zhao Shuli , Wang Jing , Zhang He , Zhao Xinhua , Yu Haiqiu 

TITLE=Genome-wide identification of TPS and TPP genes in cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea) and functional characterization of AhTPS9 in response to cold stress

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1343402

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2023.1343402

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>Trehalose is vital for plant metabolism, growth, and stress resilience, relying on <italic>Trehalose-6-phosphate synthase</italic> (<italic>TPS</italic>) and <italic>Trehalose-6-phosphate phosphatase</italic> (<italic>TPP</italic>) genes. Research on these genes in cultivated peanuts (<italic>Arachis hypogaea</italic>) is limited.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>This study employed bioinformatics to identify and analyze <italic>AhTPS</italic> and <italic>AhTPP</italic> genes in cultivated peanuts, with subsequent experimental validation of <italic>AhTPS9’s</italic> role in cold tolerance.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>In the cultivated peanut genome, a total of 16 <italic>AhTPS</italic> and 17 <italic>AhTPP</italic> genes were identified. <italic>AhTPS</italic> and <italic>AhTPP</italic> genes were observed in phylogenetic analysis, closely related to wild diploid peanuts, respectively. The evolutionary patterns of <italic>AhTPS</italic> and <italic>AhTPP</italic> genes were predominantly characterized by gene segmental duplication events and robust purifying selection. A variety of hormone-responsive and stress-related <italic>cis</italic>-elements were unveiled in our analysis of <italic>cis</italic>-regulatory elements. Distinct expression patterns of <italic>AhTPS</italic> and <italic>AhTPP</italic> genes across different peanut tissues, developmental stages, and treatments were revealed, suggesting potential roles in growth, development, and stress responses. Under low-temperature stress, qPCR results showcased upregulation in <italic>AhTPS</italic> genes (<italic>AhTPS2-5</italic>, <italic>AhTPS9-12</italic>, <italic>AhTPS14</italic>, <italic>AhTPS15</italic>) and <italic>AhTPP</italic> genes (<italic>AhTPP1</italic>, <italic>AhTPP6</italic>, <italic>AhTPP11</italic>, <italic>AhTPP13</italic>). Furthermore, <italic>AhTPS9</italic>, exhibiting the most significant expression difference under cold stress, was obviously induced by cold stress in cultivated peanut, and <italic>AhTPS9</italic>-overexpression improved the cold tolerance of <italic>Arabidopsis</italic> by protect the photosynthetic system of plants, and regulates sugar-related metabolites and genes.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>This comprehensive study lays the groundwork for understanding the roles of <italic>AhTPS</italic> and <italic>AhTPP</italic> gene families in trehalose regulation within cultivated peanuts and provides valuable insights into the mechanisms related to cold stress tolerance.</p></sec>