Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Madison, Wisconsin » Vegetable Crops Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #351450
Title: Comprehensive analysis of NAC transcription factors and their expression during cucumber fruit spine development

Author
item LIU, XINGWANG - China Agricultural University
item WANG, TING - China Agricultural University
item BARTHOLOMEW, EZRA - China Agricultural University
item BLACK, KEZIA - China Agricultural University
item DONG, MINGIMING - China Agricultural University
item ZHANG, YAQI - China Agricultural University
item YANG, SEN - China Agricultural University
item CAI, YANLING - China Agricultural University
item Weng, Yiqun
item REN, HUAZHONG - China Agricultural University

Submitted to: Horticulture Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 3/21/2018
Publication Date: 6/1/2018
Citation: Liu, X., Wang, T., Bartholomew, E., Black, K., Dong, M., Zhang, Y., Yang, S., Cai, Y., Weng, Y., Ren, H. 2018. Comprehensive analysis of NAC transcription factors and their expression during cucumber fruit spine development. Horticulture Research. 5, Article number:31.

Interpretive Summary: Cucumber is an important vegetable crop worldwide, and fruit spines are an important trait for fruit quality. The mechanisms underlying spine formation are not well understood, but there is evidence of the involvement of the plant-specific NAC family of transcription factors in fruit spine initiation and development. Here we surveyed the cucumber genomes and identified 91 CsNAC genes that were clustered into seven subfamilies. We examined these CsNAC gene families on their genome distribution, gene structure and motif conservation in plants. With quantitative real-time PCR, we identified organ-specific expression patterns of all NAC genes. We examined the expression dynamics of selected genes in fruit spines at different fruit development stages. We examined the effects of external application of four hormones, gibberellin, auxin, jasmonic acid and ethylene on CsNAC genes expression and fruit trichome initiation. We found 13 CsNAC genes that were highly expressed in trichomes at its initiation and early development stages. We also identified a cluster of hormone-responsive CsNAC genes that were associated with trichome development. Recently, CsTBH, which belongs to the HD-ZIP I TF family, was reported to be associated with cucumber fruit spine development. Interestingly, in some of CsNAC genes the HD-ZIP I TF binding site(s) is (are) found in their promoter sequence. Collectively, these finding provide a useful resource for further analysis of the interactions between NACs and CsTBH during trichome development in cucumber.

Technical Abstract: Cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) is an important vegetable crop worldwide, and fruit trichomes ir spines are an important trait for external fruit quality. The mechanisms underlying spine formation are not well understood, but there is evidence of the involvement of the plant-specific NAC family of transcription factors (TFs) in fruit spine initiation and development. In this study, we conducted genome-wide survey and identified 91 CsNAC genes in the cucumber genome, which could be clustered into seven subfamilies. We performed a comprehensive analysis of the CsNAC gene family in terms of genome distribution, gene structure and motif conservation in plants. Through quantitative real-time PCR, we identified organ-specific expression patterns of all NAC genes. We examined the expression dynamics of selected genes in fruit spines at different fruit development stages in wild type and a trichome mutant with defective trichome development. We examined the effects of external application of four hormones, gibberellin, auxin, jasmonic acid and ethylene, on CsNAC genes expression and fruit trichome initiation. We found 13 CsNAC genes that were highly expressed in trichomes at its initiation and early development stages. We also identified a cluster of hormone-responsive CsNAC genes that were associated with trichome development. Recently, CsTBH, which belongs to the HD-ZIP I TF family, was reported to be associated with cucumber fruit spine development. Interestingly, in some of CsNAC genes the HD-ZIP I TF binding site(s) is (are) found in their promoter sequence. Collectively, these finding provide a useful resource for further analysis of the interactions between NACs and CsTBH during trichome development in cucumber.