Scholarlink

Background <p>The <i>WRKY</i> transcription factor family, characterized by its conserved <i>WRKY</i>GQK motif and zinc finger structure, serves as a central regulatory module in plants, mediating developmental, stress-responsive, and metabolic processes through W-box binding. In <i>Camellia sinensis</i>, <i>WRKY</i> genes act as molecular integrators that link environmental cues to the biosynthesis of quality-related compounds, underscoring the importance of understanding their evolutionary patterns for genetic improvement. However, previous research has been limited by single-reference genome approaches, which fail to capture the full spectrum of <i>WRKY</i> gene presence-absence variation across diverse tea plant cultivars.</p> Results <p>This study presents the first pan-genome-wide analysis of the <i>WRKY</i> family in any plant species, integrating data from 22 tea plant genomes. We identified a comprehensive set of <i>WRKY</i> genes and classified them into core and dispensable categories, revealing extensive presence-absence variants (PAVs) that were overlooked in single-reference studies. Phylogenetic reconstruction resolved 11 subfamilies, with notable lineage-specific expansions. Mechanistically, core gene evolution was predominantly driven by whole-genome or segmental duplication under strong purifying selection, whereas dispensable genes, particularly in certain subfamilies, showed signals of adaptive evolution and were enriched through dispersed duplication. Transcriptomic analysis uncovered co-expression networks among highly expressed <i>WRKY</i> clusters, indicating functional redundancy and sub-functionalization in stress adaptation.</p> Conclusions <p>The findings from the present study provide insights into the evolutionary dynamics of presence-absence and copy-number variation within the <i>WRKY</i> family in tea plants, establishing a valuable genetic resource for enhancing stress resilience and metabolic traits in tea breeding programs.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Pan-genomic and pan-transcriptomic integration unveils evolutionary dynamics and regulatory diversification of the WRKY gene family in Camellia sinensis

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年5月28日

查看全文
  • Binjingyu Wang,
  • Shilai Tian,
  • Xinzhuan Yao,
  • Yue Wan,
  • Chao Xu,
  • Chao Luo,
  • Hu Tang,
  • Zifan Yang,
  • Muhammad Safiullah Virk,
  • Ping Bin,
  • Litang Lu

摘要

Background

The WRKY transcription factor family, characterized by its conserved WRKYGQK motif and zinc finger structure, serves as a central regulatory module in plants, mediating developmental, stress-responsive, and metabolic processes through W-box binding. In Camellia sinensis, WRKY genes act as molecular integrators that link environmental cues to the biosynthesis of quality-related compounds, underscoring the importance of understanding their evolutionary patterns for genetic improvement. However, previous research has been limited by single-reference genome approaches, which fail to capture the full spectrum of WRKY gene presence-absence variation across diverse tea plant cultivars.

Results

This study presents the first pan-genome-wide analysis of the WRKY family in any plant species, integrating data from 22 tea plant genomes. We identified a comprehensive set of WRKY genes and classified them into core and dispensable categories, revealing extensive presence-absence variants (PAVs) that were overlooked in single-reference studies. Phylogenetic reconstruction resolved 11 subfamilies, with notable lineage-specific expansions. Mechanistically, core gene evolution was predominantly driven by whole-genome or segmental duplication under strong purifying selection, whereas dispensable genes, particularly in certain subfamilies, showed signals of adaptive evolution and were enriched through dispersed duplication. Transcriptomic analysis uncovered co-expression networks among highly expressed WRKY clusters, indicating functional redundancy and sub-functionalization in stress adaptation.

Conclusions

The findings from the present study provide insights into the evolutionary dynamics of presence-absence and copy-number variation within the WRKY family in tea plants, establishing a valuable genetic resource for enhancing stress resilience and metabolic traits in tea breeding programs.