Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Aquaporin Gene Family in 84K Poplar.
- 1Integrative Science Center of Germplasm Creation in Western China (CHONGQING) Science City, Chongqing Technology Innovation Center of Breeding, Chongqing Key Laboratory of Plant Resource Conservation and Germplasm Innovation, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
- 2Chongqing Nanshan Botanical Garden, Chongqing 400715, China.
- 3Key Laboratory of Eco-Environments of Three Gorges Reservoir Region, Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs) mediate the transmembrane transport of water and diverse small molecules, playing essential roles in plant growth and development and stress responses. However, their genome-wide organization and evolution at the subgenome level in hybrid 84K poplar (Populus alba × Populus tremula var. glandulosa) remain incompletely characterized. Based on the telomere-to-telomere genome of 84K poplar, we identified 94 PagAQPs, with 46 and 48 members in the A and G subgenomes, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis classified them into five subfamilies unevenly distributed across 29 chromosomes, with PagPIP and PagTIP being the two largest subfamilies. Most PagAQPs were retained as corresponding A/G allelic pairs, whereas few exhibit subgenome-specific retention. Valid Ka/Ks ratios for 38 allelic pairs and 59 paralogous gene pairs were all below 1, indicating predominant purifying selection. Gene structure, conserved motifs, and substrate-recognition residues showed conservation within subfamilies and divergence among subfamilies. The promoters contained predicted cis-acting elements associated with light, phytohormone and abiotic stress responses. Expression profiling showed that some PagPIP and PagTIP members were highly expressed in vascular tissues and exhibited changes in transcript abundance under nitrogen and drought treatments. Compared with wild-type plants, the 35S:PagPIP2;6A overexpression lines were shorter before treatment and exhibited higher leaf relative water content and lower malondialdehyde content after water withholding. This study systematically characterized the subgenomic distribution, evolutionary features and expression patterns of the PagAQP family in 84K poplar and identified candidate genes for further functional investigation.
Related
- Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of the GATA Gene Family Reveals Candidate Genes Associated with GA3-Induced Shoot Elongation in Citrus grandis ‘Wanbai’
- Genome wide identification and in silico mRNA expression profiling of the WRKY transcription factor gene family in Salvia hispanica
- Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Pattern Analysis of the Phenylalanine Ammonia-Lyase (PAL) Gene Family in Wheat Under Stripe Rust.
- Genome-Wide Identification, Evolutionary Analysis and Expression Profiling of the BMP Gene Family in Qihe Gibel Carp
- Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of the NF-YB Gene Family in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Under Short-Term Salt Stress
BibTeX
@article{zhu2026genomewide,
title = {{Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Aquaporin Gene Family in 84K Poplar.}},
author = {Mingqiang Zhu and Kaiqi Wang and Jiyu Wang and Kuan Sun and Haiyang Wang and Yunfeng Li and Jin Wang and Shunqin Zhu},
journal = {Plants (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/plants15203167},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42943122},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Aquaporin Gene Family in 84K Poplar.
AU - Mingqiang Zhu
AU - Kaiqi Wang
AU - Jiyu Wang
AU - Kuan Sun
AU - Haiyang Wang
AU - Yunfeng Li
AU - Jin Wang
AU - Shunqin Zhu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/16
JO - Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
DO - 10.3390/plants15203167
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42943122
AB - Aquaporins (AQPs) mediate the transmembrane transport of water and diverse small molecules, playing essential roles in plant growth and development and stress responses. However, their genome-wide organization and evolution at the subgenome level in hybrid 84K poplar (Populus alba × Populus tremula var. glandulosa) remain incompletely characterized. Based on the telomere-to-telomere genome of 84K poplar, we identified 94 PagAQPs, with 46 and 48 members in the A and G subgenomes, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis classified them into five subfamilies unevenly distributed across 29 chromosomes, with PagPIP and PagTIP being the two largest subfamilies. Most PagAQPs were retained as corresponding A/G allelic pairs, whereas few exhibit subgenome-specific retention. Valid Ka/Ks ratios for 38 allelic pairs and 59 paralogous gene pairs were all below 1, indicating predominant purifying selection. Gene structure, conserved motifs, and substrate-recognition residues showed conservation within subfamilies and divergence among subfamilies. The promoters contained predicted cis-acting elements associated with light, phytohormone and abiotic stress responses. Expression profiling showed that some PagPIP and PagTIP members were highly expressed in vascular tissues and exhibited changes in transcript abundance under nitrogen and drought treatments. Compared with wild-type plants, the 35S:PagPIP2;6A overexpression lines were shorter before treatment and exhibited higher leaf relative water content and lower malondialdehyde content after water withholding. This study systematically characterized the subgenomic distribution, evolutionary features and expression patterns of the PagAQP family in 84K poplar and identified candidate genes for further functional investigation.
SN - 2223-7747
ER -