Genome-wide identification of the sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) DMP gene family and its potential role in abiotic stress

DMP, a plant-specific membrane protein, plays a role in plant reproductive development and senescence processes. However, there is a lack of reported research on the distribution and function of the DMP gene family in sugar beet. In this study, bioinformatics methods were utilized to identify nine BvDMP family genes that were found on four chromosomes of the genome. The physicochemical properties, phylogeny, subcellular localization, gene structure, promoter regions, and replication events of these nine family genes were analyzed. RT‒qPCR was utilized to analyze the expression patterns of the nine genes within the DMP family across different tissues of sugar beet, as well as their responses to various abiotic stresses. The phylogenetic analysis indicated that all the BvDMP clusters could be categorized into six branches. BvDMPs were found to contain diverse cis-acting elements that play a role in plant responses to abiotic stresses and various phytohormones. Furthermore, expression analysis highlighted BvDMP9 as the most highly upregulated gene in reproductive organs among all members of the sugar beet DMP gene family. This finding suggests the potential involvement of BvDMP9 in the reproductive processes of sugar beet, there by providing a basis for further exploration of the functions and mechanisms of this gene family.