In-silico Based Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of Glutathione S-Transferase Gene Family in Beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris)

The present investigation aimed at large-scale genome wide identification and characterization of glutathione S-transferases (GST) gene family in sugar beet (Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris). A total of 35 GST genes were identified in sugar beet that were divided into 10 classes of which tau (19) and phi (4) were the most abundant. Sub-cellular localization analysis revealed that most of the identified beet GST proteins were localized in the cytoplasm. Gene duplication analysis revealed that purifying type selection and tandem duplication were majorly responsible for expansion of the gene family. Multiple sequence alignment showed that serine and cysteine catalytic residues were highly conserved in beet GSTs. The present study identified 26 cis-acting regulatory elements which were responsible for responses against different types of stresses and plant development. The evolutionary relationship of beet GST proteins showed that the tau and phi class GSTs were closely associated with those of other plants. This comprehensive study of GST gene family in sugar beet provides firm base for functional analysis of beet GST genes at molecular level along with potential applications in genetic improvement of the crop.