Evolutionary Analysis of Six Gene Families Part of the Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Gene Network in Three Brassicaceae Species

Int J Mol Sci. 2024 Feb 5;25(3):1938. doi: 10.3390/ijms25031938.

Abstract

Climate change is expected to intensify the occurrence of abiotic stress in plants, such as hypoxia and salt stresses, leading to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which need to be effectively managed by various oxido-reductases encoded by the so-called ROS gene network. Here, we studied six oxido-reductases families in three Brassicaceae species, Arabidopsis thaliana as well as Nasturtium officinale and Eutrema salsugineum, which are adapted to hypoxia and salt stress, respectively. Using available and new genomic data, we performed a phylogenomic analysis and compared RNA-seq data to study genomic and transcriptomic adaptations. This comprehensive approach allowed for the gaining of insights into the impact of the adaptation to saline or hypoxia conditions on genome organization (gene gains and losses) and transcriptional regulation. Notably, the comparison of the N. officinale and E. salsugineum genomes to that of A. thaliana highlighted changes in the distribution of ohnologs and homologs, particularly affecting class III peroxidase genes (CIII Prxs). These changes were specific to each gene, to gene families subjected to duplication events and to each species, suggesting distinct evolutionary responses. The analysis of transcriptomic data has allowed for the identification of genes related to stress responses in A. thaliana, and, conversely, to adaptation in N. officinale and E. salsugineum.

Keywords: Brassicaceae; NADPH oxidase; adaptation; ascorbate peroxidase; catalase; class III peroxidase; hypoxia; salt stress; superoxide dismutase; α-dioxygenase.

MeSH terms

  • Arabidopsis* / genetics
  • Brassicaceae* / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
  • Gene Regulatory Networks
  • Hypoxia
  • Oxidoreductases / genetics
  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Stress, Physiological

Substances

  • Reactive Oxygen Species
  • Oxidoreductases

Grants and funding

The authors are thankful to the Paul Sabatier-Toulouse 3 University and the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) for providing grants for their work. This research was funded by the TULIP LabEx project (ANR-10-LABX-41), École Universitaire de Recherche (EUR) TULIP-GS (ANR-18-EURE-0019) and by the Agrobiosciences Interactions and Biodiversity Research Federation (FR AIB).