Genome-Wide Identification of the Medicago ruthenica FTIP Gene Family and Expression Profiling Under Salt Stresses

TL;DR

This study identifies and characterizes the FTIP gene family in Medicago ruthenica, revealing their roles in salt stress responses and potential for breeding improvements.

Contribution

The first genome-wide analysis of the FTIP gene family in Medicago ruthenica, identifying key genes involved in salt stress.

Findings

Nineteen MrFTIP genes were identified and distributed across seven chromosomes.

MrFTIP8 and MrFTIP17 are upregulated under salt and salt-alkali stress, suggesting roles in stress response.

Promoter regions of MrFTIPs are enriched for abiotic stress and hormone signaling elements.

Abstract

FT-interacting proteins (FTIPs) function in signal transduction and metabolite transport, which are important to plant growth, development, and reproduction. Their bioinformatic characteristics and functions in Medicago ruthenica, a forage crop used for ecological restoration, remain unknown. We identified 19 MrFTIPs from the M. ruthenica genome, and they were unevenly distributed across seven chromosomes. Most of them are alkaline, labile and hydrophilic, with a structure comprising irregular coils, α-helices and extended chains. Phylogenetic analysis revealed five evolutionary clades with MrFTIPs. In total, two pairs of segmental duplication events were found, indicating a major pattern for MrFTIP expansion. Overall, 16, 11, and 22 gene pairs were identified from M. truncatula, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Glycine max, respectively. The promoter regions of MrFTIPs were enriched with abiotic stress responses and light or hormone signaling. Tissue-specific analysis revealed that 7 MrFTIPs were highly expressed in leaves, 9 MrFTIPs were highly expressed in petals, and 6 MrFTIPs were highly expressed in stigma and anthers. MrFTIP17 continues to be upregulated among tissues under salt stress, and MrFTIP8 continues to be upregulated among tissues under salt–alkali stress. Collectively, our study systematically characterized the genomic features, evolutionary patterns and cis-regulatory characteristics of the MrFTIP gene family in M. ruthenica, and identified MrFTIP8 and MrFTIP17 as candidate genes associated with salt stress responses in this species, thus providing insights into and potential targets for the molecular and conventional breeding of M. ruthenica.

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