Biotechnology Bulletin ›› 2023, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (12): 169-178.doi: 10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2023-0392

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Identification and Expression Analysis of Spinach PSY Gene Family

REN Li1,2(), QIAO Shu-ting1,2, GE Chen-hui1,2, WEI Zi-tong1,2, XU Chen-xi1,2()   

  1. 1. College of Life Sciences, Shanghai Normal University,Shanghai 200234
    2. Development Center of Plant Germplasm Resources, Shanghai Normal University,Shanghai 200234
  • Received:2023-04-23 Online:2023-12-26 Published:2024-01-11
  • Contact: XU Chen-xi E-mail:renlirenli7@163.com;chenxixu@shnu.edu.cn

Abstract:

PSY(phytoene synthase, PSY)is the first rate-limiting enzyme in the plant carotenoid synthesis pathway and plays an important role in plant growth and development. In order to understand the function of PSY gene family in spinach, the number, structure, promoter elements, amino acid characteristics and gene evolution of PSY gene family members in spinach were identified by bioinformatics method, and the expression pattern of PSY genes in spinach tissue and in response to the changes in the ratio of red to blue light was analyzed by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR(RT-qPCR). Meanwhile, the expressions of R1B3(red∶blue light = 1∶3)and R3B1(red light∶blue light = 3∶1)and the correlation between SoPSYs gene expression and total carotenoid content were analyzed. The results showed that there were 4 PSY genes in spinach, containing SQS_PSY conserved domain, and the SoPSY protein was a hydrophilic protein. PSY1 and PSY2 of spinach were closely related to beet in Amaranthaceae, and PSY3 and PSY4 were closely related to PSY3 in tomato. There were various light-responsive and phytohormone-related elements in the promoter sequence of spinach PSY genes. SoPSY genes had tissue expression specificity, SoPSY1, SoPSY2, and SoPSY3 were only expressed in the leaves, and SoPSY4 was mainly expressed in the roots. Spinach carotene content decreased after treatment with R1B3 and R3B1. Among spinach genotypes, the expression patterns of each SoPSY gene in response to the ratio of red to blue light were different. The expression of SoPSY1 was not significantly changed in cultivated spinach, the expression patterns of SoPSY2 were reversed in both spinach genotypes, and the relative expression patterns of SoPSY3 were consistent in the wild and cultivated spinach, and the relative expressions of these three genes was closely related to the change of total carotenoid content. This study lays the foundation for an in-depth understanding of the biological function of the PSY genes in spinach and their regulatory mechanism in response to changes in the ratio of red to blue light.

Key words: PSY, Spinacia oleracea, identification of gene family, gene expression pattern, red and blue light, carotenoids, correlation analysis