Scholarlink

<p>Defense-associated gene families in long-lived perennials evolve under continuous biotic pressure, yet the forces shaping their diversification and tissue-specialized roles remain poorly understood. Here, we provide the first comprehensive evolutionary and regulatory analysis of the 12-oxo-phytodienoate reductase (OPR) gene family in tea (<i>Camellia sinensis</i>), a woody perennial that experiences recurrent herbivory and pathogen attacks. Through an integrative framework combining genome-wide identification, phylogenetics, gene structure and motif analyses, cis-regulatory profiling, selective pressure estimation, multi-stress transcriptomics, and RT-qPCR validation, we identified seven <i>CsOPR</i> genes grouped into three well-supported lineages. All <i>CsOPR</i>s retain conserved FMN-binding residues, while localized motif divergence, including the loss of motif 2 in <i>CsOPR3</i> suggests potential subfunctionalization under strong purifying selection. Promoter composition reveals extensive jasmonate-abscisic acid-light cross-regulation, consistent with tissue-specific stress responses: <i>CsOPR1</i>/<i>2</i> function as strongly associated with foliar defense, whereas <i>CsOPR7</i> displays root-biased and stress-modulated expression. Multi-predictor subcellular localization analyses suggest putative vacuolar or endomembrane association for several <i>CsOPR</i>s, pending experimental validation. Collectively, this study establishes a high-resolution framework for OPR evolution and regulatory innovation in tea and identifies structurally divergent, stress-responsive members as high-priority targets for functional genomics. These insights advance understanding of how perennial species tailor jasmonate-mediated defense across tissues and provide molecular entry points for breeding strategies aimed at strengthening biotic stress resilience in long-lived crops.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Lineage-specific diversification and tissue-specialized jasmonate defense roles of OPR genes in tea (Camellia sinensis)

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月17日

查看全文
  • Manabendra Nath,
  • Bikash Kumar Kundu,
  • Preetom Regon,
  • Kuntala Sarma Bordoloi,
  • Pooja Moni Baruah,
  • Niraj Agarwala,
  • Bhaben Tanti

摘要

Defense-associated gene families in long-lived perennials evolve under continuous biotic pressure, yet the forces shaping their diversification and tissue-specialized roles remain poorly understood. Here, we provide the first comprehensive evolutionary and regulatory analysis of the 12-oxo-phytodienoate reductase (OPR) gene family in tea (Camellia sinensis), a woody perennial that experiences recurrent herbivory and pathogen attacks. Through an integrative framework combining genome-wide identification, phylogenetics, gene structure and motif analyses, cis-regulatory profiling, selective pressure estimation, multi-stress transcriptomics, and RT-qPCR validation, we identified seven CsOPR genes grouped into three well-supported lineages. All CsOPRs retain conserved FMN-binding residues, while localized motif divergence, including the loss of motif 2 in CsOPR3 suggests potential subfunctionalization under strong purifying selection. Promoter composition reveals extensive jasmonate-abscisic acid-light cross-regulation, consistent with tissue-specific stress responses: CsOPR1/2 function as strongly associated with foliar defense, whereas CsOPR7 displays root-biased and stress-modulated expression. Multi-predictor subcellular localization analyses suggest putative vacuolar or endomembrane association for several CsOPRs, pending experimental validation. Collectively, this study establishes a high-resolution framework for OPR evolution and regulatory innovation in tea and identifies structurally divergent, stress-responsive members as high-priority targets for functional genomics. These insights advance understanding of how perennial species tailor jasmonate-mediated defense across tissues and provide molecular entry points for breeding strategies aimed at strengthening biotic stress resilience in long-lived crops.