Genome-Wide Characterization of SlABCG Genes in Tomato Reveals Their Role in Saline–Alkali Tolerance

TL;DR

This study identifies and characterizes 41 SlABCG genes in tomato, revealing their role in helping plants tolerate saline-alkali stress.

Contribution

The study provides the first comprehensive analysis of the SlABCG gene family in tomato and their response to saline-alkali stress.

Findings

41 SlABCG genes were identified in the tomato genome and grouped into five clades.

Six SlABCG genes were found to respond to saline-alkali stress, with 25 upregulated genes showing significant expression during stress.

Promoter regions of SlABCG genes contain cis-acting elements linked to stress responses like salicylic acid and low temperature.

Abstract

Background: The ATP-binding cassette (ABC) G subfamily, a key member of the ABC protein family, mediates plant stress responses by transporting metabolites across membranes, but its mechanism of action in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) remains poorly understood. Methods: We systematically analyzed the evolutionary relationships, structural characteristics, stress-responsive expression patterns, and functional roles in response to saline-alkali stress of the SlABCG gene family in tomato, using a combination of approaches including phylogenetic analysis (MEGA), gene structure and motif analysis (GSDS, MEME), cis-acting element prediction, homology analysis, transcriptome analysis, protein-protein interaction prediction, and qRT-PCR validation. Results: We identified a total of 41 SlABCG genes from the tomato genome. These genes, together with 43 ABCG genes from Arabidopsis thaliana, were clustered into five distinct clades. There are 35 collinear gene pairs between the SlABCG gene family in tomato and the ABCG gene family in Arabidopsis, while 39 collinear gene pairs exist among ABCG genes within the tomato genome itself.The promoter regions of SlABCG genes contain cis-acting elements associated with responses to salicylic acid, low temperature, and gibberellin stresses. Transcriptome sequencing revealed that six SlABCG genes responded to saline-alkali stress. Gene regulatory network prediction revealed that multiple genes related to saline-alkali stress were regulated. Expression profile analysis of the 25 upregulated genes revealed that all of them were significantly upregulated during the saline-alkali stress treatment. Conclusions: In summary, our results provide deep insights into the characteristics of the SlABCG subfamily, facilitate the design of effective analysis strategies, and offer data support for exploring the roles of ABCG transporters under different stress conditions.

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