The senescence-induced Stay-Green gene: A comparative in-silico analysis in three Zoysiagrasses

Chetan  Kaur1   Young-Sun Kim2,3   Geung-Joo  Lee1,4,*   

1Department of Horticulture, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea
2Division of Life and Environmental Science, Daegu University, Gyeongsan 38453, Korea
3Institute of Natural Sciences, Daegu University, Gyeongsan 38453, Korea
4Department of Smart Agriculture Systems, Chungnam National University, Daejeon 34134, Korea

Abstract

Senescence is a response regulator to abiotic and biotic stress for plants, as well as an important developmental process. Plant senescence and the breakdown of chlorophyll depend on the stay-green proteins. Chlorophyll degradation during abiotic stresses is an undesirable trait in grasses that are mainly grown for adding greenery in the landscaping industry. The underlying processes of stay-green gene were poorly researched in the Zoysiagrasses. Using bioinformatic approaches, we identified the Stay-Green (SGR) genes in Zoysia matrella and Zoysia pacifica for the current study. In Z. matrella, two SGRs and three in Z. pacifica were predicted. We report on the evolutionary relationships of the six SGR genes, the distribution of transcription regulatory elements, the study of the gene structure, and the prediction of the protein structures. Utilizing comparative genomics techniques, this work seeks to investigate the impact of genetic diversity in the various SGRs in the three species of Zoysiagrass and tapping its potential for use in landscaping industry.

Figures & Tables

Fig. 1. Phylogenetic relationship of SGR genes among the three grasses using maximum likelihood method with 1,000 bootstrap replications. The green boxes represent the Stay-green domain, black boxes represent exons and dotted lines represent introns. A and B denotes major groups, and C-D denotes subgroups.