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Background <p><i>Zanthoxylum armatum</i> is a vital economic crop in China, but its cultivation is challenged by abiotic stresses like drought and cold. Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (MAPKKs) are central signaling components regulating plant stress responses. However, the <i>MAPKK</i> gene family in <i>Z. armatum</i> remained uncharacterized. This study aimed to identify <i>ZaMAPKK</i> genes and elucidate their roles in stress adaptation. Understanding <i>ZaMAPKK</i> functions provides critical genetic targets for molecular breeding programs aimed at developing stress-tolerant cultivars, ensuring sustainable <i>Z. armatum</i> production in marginal environments.</p> Results <p>This study identified 14 <i>MAPKK</i> family members in <i>Z. armatum</i> (<i>ZaMAPKK1-14</i>) via genome-wide analysis. Bioinformatics and experimental analyses revealed that ZaMAPKKs were unstable hydrophilic proteins, predominantly localized in the nucleus. Phylogenetic analysis divided them into four subfamilies (A, B, C, and D), showing high homology with dicotyledonous plants such as <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> and soybean. Gene structure analysis indicated significant differences in intron numbers among subfamily members, suggesting functional differentiation. Promoter <i>cis</i>-element analysis identified abundant elements related to light response, hormone regulation, and stress in all genes. Transcriptome and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analyses revealed that <i>ZaMAPKK7</i> and <i>ZaMAPKK11</i> exhibited significantly higher expression across samples from different latitudes, implicating them in regulating <i>Z. armatum</i> stress resistance via activation of stress response pathways. Gene co-expression network analysis indicated that <i>ZaMAPKK</i> genes cooperate with various transcription factors to regulate stress response, light signaling, growth, and metabolism in <i>Z. armatum</i>.</p> Conclusions <p>This study identifies <i>ZaMAPKK7</i> and <i>ZaMAPKK11</i> as key regulators of stress resistance in <i>Z. armatum</i>. Future work will integrate RT-qPCR and co-expression analyses to validate their functions within the <i>MAPKK</i> cascade and explore synergistic mechanisms with other gene families. Unraveling this regulatory network will accelerate the breeding of stress-tolerant cultivars, ultimately enhancing <i>Zanthoxylum</i> productivity and industrial sustainability.</p>

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Genome-wide identification and functional characterization of MAPKK gene family in Zanthoxylum armatum DC. reveal its potential role in ecological adaptive evolution

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年3月21日

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  • Chongyu Liu,
  • Li Tan,
  • Ruxin Xu,
  • Long Tong,
  • Xia Liu,
  • Jiajia Tang,
  • Chong Sun,
  • Yifei Deng,
  • Mi Kuang,
  • Xia Gong,
  • Lingling Peng,
  • Dalan Feng,
  • Zexiong Chen

摘要

Background

Zanthoxylum armatum is a vital economic crop in China, but its cultivation is challenged by abiotic stresses like drought and cold. Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinases (MAPKKs) are central signaling components regulating plant stress responses. However, the MAPKK gene family in Z. armatum remained uncharacterized. This study aimed to identify ZaMAPKK genes and elucidate their roles in stress adaptation. Understanding ZaMAPKK functions provides critical genetic targets for molecular breeding programs aimed at developing stress-tolerant cultivars, ensuring sustainable Z. armatum production in marginal environments.

Results

This study identified 14 MAPKK family members in Z. armatum (ZaMAPKK1-14) via genome-wide analysis. Bioinformatics and experimental analyses revealed that ZaMAPKKs were unstable hydrophilic proteins, predominantly localized in the nucleus. Phylogenetic analysis divided them into four subfamilies (A, B, C, and D), showing high homology with dicotyledonous plants such as Arabidopsis thaliana and soybean. Gene structure analysis indicated significant differences in intron numbers among subfamily members, suggesting functional differentiation. Promoter cis-element analysis identified abundant elements related to light response, hormone regulation, and stress in all genes. Transcriptome and reverse transcription-quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) analyses revealed that ZaMAPKK7 and ZaMAPKK11 exhibited significantly higher expression across samples from different latitudes, implicating them in regulating Z. armatum stress resistance via activation of stress response pathways. Gene co-expression network analysis indicated that ZaMAPKK genes cooperate with various transcription factors to regulate stress response, light signaling, growth, and metabolism in Z. armatum.

Conclusions

This study identifies ZaMAPKK7 and ZaMAPKK11 as key regulators of stress resistance in Z. armatum. Future work will integrate RT-qPCR and co-expression analyses to validate their functions within the MAPKK cascade and explore synergistic mechanisms with other gene families. Unraveling this regulatory network will accelerate the breeding of stress-tolerant cultivars, ultimately enhancing Zanthoxylum productivity and industrial sustainability.