Table_5_Genome-wide analysis of the U-box E3 ubiquitin ligase family role in drought tolerance in sesame (Sesamum indicum L.).xlsx

Plant U-box (PUB) proteins belong to a class of ubiquitin ligases essential in various biological processes. Sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) is an important and worldwide cultivated oilseed crop. However few studies have been conducted to explore the role of PUBs in drought tolerance in sesame. This study identified a total of 56 members of the sesame PUB family (SiPUB) genes distributed unevenly across all 13 chromosomes. Based on phylogenetic analysis, all 56 SiPUB genes were classified into six groups with various structures and motifs. Cis-acting element analysis suggested that the SiPUB genes are involved in response to various stresses including drought. Based on RNA-seq analysis and quantitative real-time PCR, we identified nine SiPUB genes with significantly different expression profiles under drought stress. The expression patterns of six SiPUB genes in root, leaf and stem tissues corroborated the reliability of the RNA-seq datasets. These findings underscore the importance of SiPUB genes in enhancing drought tolerance in sesame plants. Our study provides novel insights into the evolutionary patterns and variations of PUB genes in sesame and lays the foundation for comprehending the functional characteristics of SiPUB genes under drought-induced stress conditions.

植物U-box蛋白（Plant U-box，PUB）属于一类泛素连接酶，广泛参与各类生物学过程。芝麻（Sesamum indicum L.）是一种重要的全球性栽培油料作物，然而目前针对芝麻PUB蛋白在耐旱性中的功能研究仍较为匮乏。本研究共鉴定出56个芝麻PUB家族基因（SiPUB），这些基因不均匀分布于芝麻的全部13条染色体上。基于系统发育分析，56个SiPUB基因可被划分为6个类群，各成员具备各异的基因结构与基序。顺式作用元件分析结果显示，SiPUB基因参与包括干旱在内的多种胁迫响应过程。通过RNA-seq转录组分析与实时荧光定量PCR实验，本研究鉴定出9个在干旱胁迫下表达谱存在显著差异的SiPUB基因。6个SiPUB基因在根、叶、茎组织中的表达模式验证了RNA-seq数据集的可靠性。上述研究结果凸显了SiPUB基因在提升芝麻植株耐旱性中的重要作用。本研究为芝麻PUB基因的进化模式与变异特征提供了全新见解，并为解析干旱胁迫下SiPUB基因的功能特性奠定了坚实的研究基础。