Genome-Wide Identification, Phylogeny and Expression Analysis of the Magnesium Release Gene Family in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

TL;DR

This study identifies and analyzes the Magnesium Release (MGR) gene family in wheat, revealing their roles in stress responses and Mg homeostasis.

Contribution

The first systematic identification and analysis of the MGR gene family in wheat, including their expression under stress and evolutionary patterns.

Findings

Fifteen MGR genes were identified and mapped to 12 wheat chromosomes.

TaMGR5D and TaMGR5A.2 were significantly induced by powdery mildew and stripe rust infections.

TaMGR4A transcript levels increased under drought, heat, and combined stress conditions.

Abstract

Magnesium (Mg) release (MGR) proteins play a crucial role in maintaining Mg2+ homeostasis in plant cells. However, MGR family genes have not yet been explored in crops. This study identified the wheat MGR (TaMGR) family members via BlastP alignment. A total of 15 MGR genes were mapped to 12 chromosomes. Cis-element prediction in the promoter region revealed that the ABA-responsive element (ABRE) was 100% conserved among all family members. Collinearity analysis indicates that MGR genes in monocot plants may have higher conservation compared to dicot plants. Expression profiling analyses uncovered the expression patterns of TaMGR genes across diverse tissues and under various stresses. Our results demonstrated that TaMGR5D and TaMGR5A.2 were significantly induced by both powdery mildew and stripe rust pathogen infections, whereas TaMGR4A transcript levels were upregulated in response to drought, heat and their combined stress. These findings indicate that TaMGRs may contribute coordinately to the regulation of wheat growth and development as well as adaptive responses to adverse conditions through member-specific expression patterns. This study systematically identified and analyzed the evolution and expression regulation characteristics of TaMGRs, providing a theoretical basis for in-depth research on the functional mechanisms of the TaMGRs and for improving the Mg use efficiency and stress adaptability of wheat via molecular approaches.

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