Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Abiotic Stress
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1454046

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Pectin Methylesterase Inhibitors(PMEI)Gene Family Related to Abiotic Stresses in Watermelon

Provisionally accepted
Siyu Zhang Siyu Zhang 1Xinhao Yuan Xinhao Yuan 1Jiahao Duan Jiahao Duan 1Jun Hu Jun Hu 1Chunhua Wei Chunhua Wei 1Yong Zhang Yong Zhang 1Jiafa Wang Jiafa Wang 1Chao Li Chao Li 1,2Shengcan Hou Shengcan Hou 3Xiaodan Luo Xiaodan Luo 3Junhua Li Junhua Li 3Xian Zhang Xian Zhang 1Zhongyuan Wang Zhongyuan Wang 1*
  • 1 Northwest A&F University, Xianyang, China
  • 2 Other, Turpan, China
  • 3 Kaifeng Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, Kaifeng, Henan Province, China

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

    Pectin is a vital component of the plant cell walls and its methylation process is regulated by pectin methylesterase inhibitor (PMEI). PMEI regulates the structural and functional modifications of cell walls in plant and plays an important role in plant processes such as seed germination, fruit ripening, and stress response. While the PMEI gene family has been well characterized in model plants, the understanding of the molecular evolution and biological functions of the PMEI gene family in watermelon remains limited. In this study, 60 ClPMEI genes were identified and characterized, revealing their dispersion on multiple chromosomes. Based on a systematic developmental analysis, these genes were classified into three subfamilies, which was further supported by the exons, introns, and conserved motifs distribution. Analysis of cis-elements and expression patterns indicated that ClPMEIs might be involved in regulating the tolerance of watermelon to various abiotic stresses.Moreover, distinct ClPMEI genes exhibit specific functions under different abiotic stresses. For excample. ClPMEI51 and ClPMEI54 showed a significant up-regulation in expression levels during the late stage of drought treatments, while ClPMEI3 and ClPMEI12 displayed a significant downregulation under low temperature induction. Subcellular localization prediction and analysis revealed that the ClPMEI family member proteins were localized to the cell membrane. This study provided an important foundation for further exploring the functions of ClPMEI genes in watermelon.

    Keywords: watermelon, PMEI family, Whole genome identification, abiotic stresses, expression analysis

    Received: 24 Jun 2024; Accepted: 23 Aug 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Zhang, Yuan, Duan, Hu, Wei, Zhang, Wang, Li, Hou, Luo, Li, Zhang and Wang. 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: Zhongyuan Wang, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.