Genome-Wide Identification and Functional Characterization of UGT Gene Family in Sorghum bicolor with Insights into SbUGT12’s Role in C4 Photosynthesis
Wenxiang Zhang1,2, Wenning Cui1, Juan Huang3, Zhangen Lu1, Kuijing Liang1, Lingbao Wang1,2, Shanshan Wei1,2, Liran Shi1, Huifen Li1, Xiaoli Guo1,2,*, Jianhui Ma4,*
1 College of Life Sciences, Hengshui University, Hengshui, 053000, China
2 Collaborative Innovation Center for Wetland Conservation and Green Development of Hebei Province, Hengshui University, Hengshui, 053000, China
3 Guizhou Key Laboratory of Biology and Breeding for Specialty Crops, College of Life Science, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, 550025, China
4 College of Life Sciences, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, 453007, China
* Corresponding Author: Xiaoli Guo. Email: 
; Jianhui Ma. Email: 
Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2025.073736
Received 24 September 2025; Accepted 06 November 2025; Published online 20 November 2025
Abstract
UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) play essential roles in plant secondary metabolism and stress responses, yet their composition and functions in
Sorghum bicolor, a model C4 plant, remain inadequately characterized. This study identified 196
SbUGT genes distributed across all 10 chromosomes and classified them into 16 subfamilies (A–P) through phylogenetic analysis. Among these, 61.2% were intronless, and 10 conserved motifs, including the UGT-specific PSPG box, were identified. Synteny analysis using MCScanX revealed 12 segmental duplication events and conserved syntenic relationships with other Poaceae species (rice, maize, and barley). Promoter analysis uncovered 125 distinct cis-acting elements, predominantly associated with stress and hormone responses, as well as MYB/MYC binding sites. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) indicated that genes in cluster C2 were highly expressed in leaves and correlated with the C4 photosynthetic pathway. Within this cluster,
SbUGT12 was identified as a hub gene, demonstrating strong binding affinity to UDP-glucose and forming a co-expression network with key C4 photosynthetic genes. Molecular docking further confirmed its binding capacity with four C4-related compounds. These findings provide insights into the evolution and function of the SbUGT family and suggest a regulatory role for
SbUGT12 in C4 photosynthesis, offering genetic resources for improving stress tolerance and photosynthetic efficiency in sorghum.
Keywords
Sorghum bicolor; SbUGTs; genome-wide analysis; tissue-specific expression; cis-element analysis; WGCNA; C4 photosynthesis; molecular docking
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