@Article{phyton.2022.021530,
AUTHOR = {Qianqian Li, Qi Zhao, Xinzhuan Yao, Baohui Zhang, Litang Lu},
TITLE = {Genome-Wide Characterization of the Cellulose Synthase Gene Superfamily in Tea Plants (<i>Camellia sinensis</i>)},
JOURNAL = {Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany},
VOLUME = {91},
YEAR = {2022},
NUMBER = {10},
PAGES = {2163--2189},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/phyton/v91n10/47999},
ISSN = {1851-5657},
ABSTRACT = {The cellulose synthase gene superfamily, including <i>Cellulose synthase A</i> (<i>CesA</i>) and <i>cellulose synthase-like</i> (<i>Csl</i>) gene families, is responsible for the synthesis of cellulose and hemicellulose, respectively. The <i>CesA/Csl</i> genes are vital for abiotic stress resistance and shoot tenderness regulation of tea plants (<i>Camellia sinensis</i>). However, the <i>CesA/Csl</i> gene family has not been extensively studied in tea plants. Here, we identified 53 <i>CsCesA/Csl</i> genes in tea plants. These genes were grouped into five subfamilies (<i>CsCesA</i>, <i>CsCslB</i>, <i>CsCslD</i>, <i>CsCslE</i>, <i>CsCslG</i>) based on the phylogenetic relationships with Arabidopsis and rice. The analysis of chromosome distribution, gene structure, protein domain and motif revealed that most genes in <i>CsCesA</i>, <i>CsCslD</i> and <i>CsCslE</i> subfamilies were conserved, whereas <i>CsCslB</i> and <i>CsCslG</i> subfamily members are highly diverged. The transcriptome analysis showed that most <i>CsCesA/Csl</i> genes displayed tissue-specific expression pattern. In addition, members of <i>CsCslB4</i>, <i>CsCesA1/3/6</i>, <i>CsCslB3/4</i>, <i>CsCslD3</i>, <i>CsCslE1</i> and <i>CsCslG2/3</i> subfamilies were up-regulated under drought and cold stresses, indicating their potential roles in regulating stress tolerance in tea plants. Furthermore, the expression levels of <i>CsCslG2_6</i> and <i>CsCslD3_5</i> in different tissues and cultivars, respectively, were positively correlated with the cellulose content that is negatively related with shoot tenderness. Thus, these two genes were speculated to be involved in the regulation of shoot tenderness in tea plants. Our findings may help elucidate the evolutionary relationships and expression patterns of the <i>CsCesA/Csl</i> genes in tea plants, and provide more candidate genes responsible for stress tolerance and tenderness regulation in tea plants for future functional research.},
DOI = {10.32604/phyton.2022.021530}
}