Genome-wide analysis and functional exploration of the LSD gene family in Populus trichocarpa

Lysine-specific demethylase (LSD) is an enzyme that specifically demethylates lysine residues on histone H3 tails, playing a crucial role in gene expression regulation in the eukaryotic cells. In this study, six LSD genes were identified in the Populus trichocarpa genome using bioinformatics methods. Their molecular weights and other physicochemical properties were predicted. The PtLSD members contain conserved SWIRM and amine oxidase (AO) domains but lack the Tower domain present in HsLSD1. The six PtLSD genes are located on five different chromosomes (chr02, chr05, chr08, chr10, and chr11), with varying numbers of introns and exons. Tissue-specific expression results from PlantGenIE showed that PtLSD3a had high expression levels in roots. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis indicated that some gene members were induced by short-term ammonium nitrogen treatment. Co-expression network analysis and WGCNA results suggest that members of this gene family may perform different functions. This study provides new insights into the composition and function of the LSD family in P. trichocarpa and lays an important theoretical foundation for future research.