Transcriptome-wide identification and expression profile analysis of the bHLH family genes in Camellia sinensis

• Published in: Functional & integrative genomics Vol. 18; no. 5; pp. 489 - 503
• Main Authors: Cui, Xin, Wang, Yong-Xin, Liu, Zhi-Wei, Wang, Wen-Li, Li, Hui, Zhuang, Jing
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.09.2018; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Abiotic stress; Adaptation, Physiological - genetics; Amino Acid Sequence; Animal Genetics and Genomics; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors - classification; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors - genetics; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors - metabolism; Biochemistry; Bioinformatics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Camellia sinensis - classification; Camellia sinensis - genetics; Camellia sinensis - metabolism; Cell Biology; Computer applications; Conserved Sequence; DNA, Plant - genetics; DNA, Plant - metabolism; Drought; Droughts; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Helix-loop-helix proteins (basic); Horticulture; Hot Temperature; Life Sciences; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Multigene Family; Original Article; Phylogeny; Plant Genetics and Genomics; Plant Proteins - classification; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Protein Binding; Proteins; Sequence Alignment; Stress, Physiological; Tea; Transcription factors; Transcriptome; Phylogenetic analysis; Tea plant; Transcription factor; Expression pattern; Abiotic stress; bHLH
• ISSN: 1438-793X; 1438-7948
• DOI: 10.1007/s10142-018-0608-x

The tea plant is an important commercial horticulture crop cultivated worldwide. Yield and quality of this plant are influenced by abiotic stress. The bHLH family transcription factors play a pivotal role in the growth and development, including abiotic stress response, of plants. A growing number of bHLH proteins have been functionally characterized in plants. However, few studies have focused on the bHLH proteins in tea plants. In this study, 120 CsbHLH TFs were identified from tea plants using computational prediction method. Structural analysis detected 23 conservative residues, with over 50% identities in the bHLH domain. Moreover, 103 CsbHLH proteins were assumed to bind DNA and encompassed 98 E-Box binders and 85 G-Box binders. The CsbHLH proteins were grouped into 20 subfamilies based on phylogenetic analysis and a previous classification system. A survey of transcriptome profiling screened 22 and 39 CsbHLH genes that were upregulated under heat and drought stress. Nine CsbHLH genes were validated using qRT-PCR. Results were approximately in accordance with transcriptome data. These genes could be induced by one or more abiotic stresses.