# Characterization, Expression Profile Analysis, and Functional Prediction of UGP Gene Family in Dendrocalamus brandisii

## TL;DR

This study explores the UGP gene family in Dendrocalamus brandisii, revealing their expression patterns and potential roles in growth and stress adaptation.

## Contribution

The study characterizes the DbUGP gene family in Dendrocalamus brandisii, revealing their expression profiles and functional roles for the first time.

## Key findings

- DbUGP1/5 are highly expressed in flowers, while others are enriched in shoots, buds, and culms.
- DbUGP1/4/8 are significantly downregulated during culm maturation.
- UGP genes show conserved structures and are involved in metabolism, signal transduction, and stress adaptation.

## Abstract

UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (UGPase) is essential for carbohydrate metabolism, catalyzing UDP-glucose synthesis, a precursor for sucrose and cellulose biosynthesis. While UGP genes have been widely studied in plants, their functions in Dendrocalamus brandisii remain unclear. This study identified and characterized the DbUGP gene family using the whole genome and transcriptome data of D. brandisii, in conjunction with whole genome data from 10 additional species through sequence alignment, phylogenetic analysis, gene structure and motif exploration, protein structure prediction, and expression profiling. Phylogenetic analysis showed eight identified DbUGPs clustered with two OsUGPs in two clades. Gene structure, motif, and collinearity analyses indicate conservation with other bamboo UGPs. The gene family exhibited segmental duplications. Expression profiling revealed DbUGP1/5 were highly expressed in flowers, while others were enriched in shoots, buds, and culms. DbUGP1/4/8 were significantly downregulated during culm maturation. Protein structure prediction indicated two conformations with catalytic sites in disordered coil regions. WGCNA identified co-expression modules and protein interaction networks centered on DbUGP1/4, while KEGG enrichment indicated their functions in metabolism, signal transduction, and stress adaptation. Promoter analysis identified cis-regulatory elements responsive to light, MeJA, and ABA. This study suggests that the evolutionarily conserved DbUGPs exhibit mutual coordination and dynamic expression during D. brandisii growth, providing fresh insights into their functional roles.