Genome-wide characterization of the AHL gene family and functional analysis of FaAHL6A-2 during fruit ripening in cultivated strawberry

IF 4.6 2区农林科学 Q1 HORTICULTURE

Scientia Horticulturae Pub Date : 2026-09-01 Epub Date: 2026-09-15 DOI:10.1016/j.scienta.2026.115098

Juan Xie, Hongkun Wang, Jiahui Liang, Xu Zhou, Kaifu Xiao, Huazhao Yuan, Linlin Xu, Ejiao Wu, Chengwen Zong, Yushan Qiao, Li Cao

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

The AT-HOOK MOTIF NUCLEAR-LOCALIZED (AHL) gene family plays crucial roles in plant growth and development, environmental stress responses, and hormone signaling. Octoploid cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) is an economically significant fruit crop; however, the AHL gene family in this species remains unclear. In this study, we performed a comprehensive analysis of this family through whole-genome identification, expression profiling, and functional validation. After correction, 69 FaAHL genes were identified from the 'Benihoppe' genome, distributed across the 19 chromosomes. Based on variations in AT-hook motifs, PPC/DUF296 domains, and phylogenetic analysis, FaAHLs were classified into two primary clades: Clade A and Clade B. Promoter analysis revealed that many FaAHL genes contain cis-elements associated with hormone responses, stress responses, and light signaling, implying that FaAHLs may respond to multiple developmental and environmental cues. Transcriptome profiling across fruit developmental stages further indicated that some FaAHLs may participate in strawberry fruit ripening. Among these, the candidate gene FaAHL6A-2 exhibited progressively declining expression during strawberry fruit ripening. Functional studies via silencing suggested that FaAHL6A-2 acts as a negative regulator of ripening by inhibiting the expression of anthocyanin biosynthesis genes (CHALCONE SYNTHASE and MYB10) and sucrose transporter genes (SUCROSE TRANSPORTER 1 and SWEET 9), consequently reducing anthocyanin accumulation and soluble sugar content. Collectively, this work conducted the first whole-genome profiling and functional investigation of FaAHLs in cultivated strawberry, establishing a foundation for understanding their roles in growth and development.

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栽培草莓AHL基因家族的全基因组特征及FaAHL6A-2在果实成熟过程中的功能分析

AT-HOOK MOTIF核定位（AHL）基因家族在植物生长发育、环境胁迫反应和激素信号传导中起着至关重要的作用。八倍体栽培草莓（Fragaria × ananassa Duch.）是一种经济上重要的水果作物；然而，该物种的AHL基因家族尚不清楚。在这项研究中，我们通过全基因组鉴定、表达谱分析和功能验证对该家族进行了全面分析。校正后，从‘Benihoppe’基因组中鉴定出69个FaAHL基因，分布在19条染色体上。基于AT-hook基序、PPC/DUF296结构域和系统发育分析，FaAHL被划分为两个主要进化支：A支和b支。启动子分析显示，许多FaAHL基因含有与激素反应、应激反应和光信号相关的顺式元件，这意味着FaAHL可能对多种发育和环境信号作出反应。跨果实发育阶段的转录组分析进一步表明，一些faahl可能参与草莓果实成熟。其中候选基因FaAHL6A-2在草莓果实成熟过程中表达量逐渐下降。通过沉默的功能研究表明，FaAHL6A-2通过抑制花青素生物合成基因（CHALCONE SYNTHASE和MYB10）和蔗糖转运基因（蔗糖转运基因1和SWEET 9）的表达，从而降低花青素积累和可溶性糖含量，从而作为成熟的负调控因子。总的来说，这项工作进行了栽培草莓中faahl的第一次全基因组分析和功能研究，为了解它们在生长发育中的作用奠定了基础。

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来源期刊

Scientia Horticulturae 农林科学-园艺

CiteScore

8.60

自引率

4.70%

发文量

796

审稿时长

47 days

期刊介绍： Scientia Horticulturae is an international journal publishing research related to horticultural crops. Articles in the journal deal with open or protected production of vegetables, fruits, edible fungi and ornamentals under temperate, subtropical and tropical conditions. Papers in related areas (biochemistry, micropropagation, soil science, plant breeding, plant physiology, phytopathology, etc.) are considered, if they contain information of direct significance to horticulture. Papers on the technical aspects of horticulture (engineering, crop processing, storage, transport etc.) are accepted for publication only if they relate directly to the living product. In the case of plantation crops, those yielding a product that may be used fresh (e.g. tropical vegetables, citrus, bananas, and other fruits) will be considered, while those papers describing the processing of the product (e.g. rubber, tobacco, and quinine) will not. The scope of the journal includes all horticultural crops but does not include speciality crops such as, medicinal crops or forestry crops, such as bamboo. Basic molecular studies without any direct application in horticulture will not be considered for this journal.