Genome-wide identification of UDP-glycosyltransferase gene family in Dendrobium huoshanense and functional characterization of DhUGT44 mediating flavonoid 7-O-glycosylation and cold tolerance
- 1Traditional Chinese Medicine Institute of Anhui Dabie Mountain, Anhui Engineering Research Center for Eco-Agriculture of Traditional Chinese Medicine, West Anhui University , ,
- 2Department of Pharmacy, Anhui University of Chinese Medicine , ,
- 3State Key Laboratory for Quality Ensurance and Sustainable Use of Dao-di Herb, Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences , ,
Abstract
UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) play essential roles in glycosylating plant specialized metabolites, thereby modulating their stability, solubility, and bioactivity to regulate growth, development, and environmental adaptation. Dendrobium huoshanense , a rare and endangered medicinal orchid endemic to China, is renowned for its rich bioactive glycosides, including polysaccharides, flavonoids, and alkaloids, which underpin its high medicinal value. However, systematic genome-wide identification and evolutionary analysis of the UGT gene family in Dendrobium remain limited, hindering their application in stress tolerance and quality improvement. In this study, we performed the first comprehensive genome-wide identification and functional characterization of the UGT family in D. huoshanense by integrating bioinformatics analyses with molecular experiments. A total of 71 DhUGT genes were identified and phylogenetically classified into 12 subfamilies. These genes are unevenly distributed across chromosomes, with tandem duplications as the primary driver of family expansion. Cis-regulatory element analysis showed that most DhUGT promoters are enriched with phytohormone- and abiotic stress-responsive motifs. By integrating multi-omics transcriptomic data, we identified DhUGT44 (subfamily L) as a high priority candidate, exhibiting consistently high expression across tissues, cultivation conditions, and growth stages. Its promoter contains cold-responsive elements, and RT-qPCR confirmed significant induction under low temperature stress in leaves. Subcellular localization assays demonstrated dual localization of DhUGT44 to the plasma membrane and chloroplasts. In vitro enzymatic assays and transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana revealed that DhUGT44 specifically catalyzes 7- O -glycosylation of flavonoid substrates. Furthermore, heterologous overexpression of DhUGT44 in Arabidopsis thaliana significantly enhanced primary root growth under cold stress compared to wild-type plants, indicating its positive role in cold tolerance. This study provides the first systematic insight into the evolutionary dynamics and transcriptional regulation of the UGT family in D. huoshanense , while elucidating the flavonoid glycosylation function and cold tolerance regulatory role of DhUGT44 . These findings offer valuable genetic resources and a theoretical basis for molecular breeding and metabolic engineering of stress tolerance and bioactive compounds in Dendrobium .
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BibTeX
@article{liu2026genomewide,
title = {{Genome-wide identification of UDP-glycosyltransferase gene family in Dendrobium huoshanense and functional characterization of DhUGT44 mediating flavonoid 7-O-glycosylation and cold tolerance}},
author = {Siyuan Liu and Jiali Ren and Mengru Liu and Yongfei Yin and Tao Xu and Enhui Lai and Lanping Guo and Bangxing Han and Shanyong Yi},
journal = {Frontiers in plant science},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.3389/fpls.2026.1959202},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13662003},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Genome-wide identification of UDP-glycosyltransferase gene family in Dendrobium huoshanense and functional characterization of DhUGT44 mediating flavonoid 7-O-glycosylation and cold tolerance
AU - Siyuan Liu
AU - Jiali Ren
AU - Mengru Liu
AU - Yongfei Yin
AU - Tao Xu
AU - Enhui Lai
AU - Lanping Guo
AU - Bangxing Han
AU - Shanyong Yi
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
JO - Frontiers in plant science
DO - 10.3389/fpls.2026.1959202
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/PMC/PMC13662003
AB - UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) play essential roles in glycosylating plant specialized metabolites, thereby modulating their stability, solubility, and bioactivity to regulate growth, development, and environmental adaptation. Dendrobium huoshanense , a rare and endangered medicinal orchid endemic to China, is renowned for its rich bioactive glycosides, including polysaccharides, flavonoids, and alkaloids, which underpin its high medicinal value. However, systematic genome-wide identification and evolutionary analysis of the UGT gene family in Dendrobium remain limited, hindering their application in stress tolerance and quality improvement. In this study, we performed the first comprehensive genome-wide identification and functional characterization of the UGT family in D. huoshanense by integrating bioinformatics analyses with molecular experiments. A total of 71 DhUGT genes were identified and phylogenetically classified into 12 subfamilies. These genes are unevenly distributed across chromosomes, with tandem duplications as the primary driver of family expansion. Cis-regulatory element analysis showed that most DhUGT promoters are enriched with phytohormone- and abiotic stress-responsive motifs. By integrating multi-omics transcriptomic data, we identified DhUGT44 (subfamily L) as a high priority candidate, exhibiting consistently high expression across tissues, cultivation conditions, and growth stages. Its promoter contains cold-responsive elements, and RT-qPCR confirmed significant induction under low temperature stress in leaves. Subcellular localization assays demonstrated dual localization of DhUGT44 to the plasma membrane and chloroplasts. In vitro enzymatic assays and transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana revealed that DhUGT44 specifically catalyzes 7- O -glycosylation of flavonoid substrates. Furthermore, heterologous overexpression of DhUGT44 in Arabidopsis thaliana significantly enhanced primary root growth under cold stress compared to wild-type plants, indicating its positive role in cold tolerance. This study provides the first systematic insight into the evolutionary dynamics and transcriptional regulation of the UGT family in D. huoshanense , while elucidating the flavonoid glycosylation function and cold tolerance regulatory role of DhUGT44 . These findings offer valuable genetic resources and a theoretical basis for molecular breeding and metabolic engineering of stress tolerance and bioactive compounds in Dendrobium .
SN - 1664-462X
ER -