The Role of MaFAD2 Gene in Bud Dormancy and Cold Resistance in Mulberry Trees (Morus alba L.)

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 25; no. 24; p. 13341
• Main Authors: Zhao, Mengjie, Zhou, Gaoxing, Liu, Peigang, Wang, Zhifeng, Yang, Lu, Li, Tianyan, Tojiddinovich, Valiev Sayfiddin, Ubaydullayevich, Nasirillayev Bakhtiyar, Adilovna, Ismatullaeva Diloram, Khasanboy Ugl, Khudjamatov Safarali, Liu, Yan, Lv, Zhiqiang, Wei, Jia, Lin, Tianbao
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 12.12.2024; MDPI
• Subjects: Abscisic acid; Agricultural production; Cold; Cold Temperature; Escheat laws; Fatty acids; Gene expression; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Genetic aspects; Genome-Wide Association Study; Growth (Plants); Hardiness; Leaves; Morus - genetics; Mulberry; Physiological aspects; Physiology; Plant Dormancy - genetics; Plant Proteins - genetics; Plant Proteins - metabolism; Plants; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Signal transduction; Temperature; Transcription factors; Winter; China; bud break; MaFAD2; GWAS; selective sweep; cold resistance; mulberry trees; bud dormancy
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms252413341

Bud dormancy is a critical adaptive trait in woody plants, essential for enduring harsh winter conditions. The relationship between bud break timing and cold resistance is complex and has been a subject of debate. This study utilizes a Genome-Wide Association Study (GWAS) on 201 natural mulberry populations to identify the MaFAD2 gene, which shows the strongest association with bud break timing. Known for its role in cold resistance, MaFAD2′s link to bud break timing suggests a direct correlation between these traits. Expression analysis of MaFAD2 in mulberry trees indicates peak activity in dormant buds, declining as dormancy ends. Selective sweep analysis on germplasms from contrasting climates reveals positive selection in MaFAD2 in cold-resistant Uzbek germplasms. Overexpression of MaFAD2 in early-budding germplasms significantly delays bud break, confirming its regulatory role. These findings highlight MaFAD2 as a key determinant of cold tolerance variability among mulberry germplasms, with its expression directly correlated with bud break timing. This provides a molecular basis for selecting cold-resistant mulberry germplasms based on bud break timing in breeding programs.