@Article{phyton.2025.073736,
AUTHOR = {Wenxiang Zhang, Wenning Cui, Juan Huang, Zhangen Lu, Kuijing Liang, Lingbao Wang, Shanshan Wei, Liran Shi, Huifen Li, Xiaoli Guo, Jianhui Ma},
TITLE = {Genome-Wide Identification and Functional Characterization of <i>UGT</i> Gene Family in <i>Sorghum bicolor</i> with Insights into <i>SbUGT12</i>’s Role in C4 Photosynthesis},
JOURNAL = {Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany},
VOLUME = {94},
YEAR = {2025},
NUMBER = {12},
PAGES = {3893--3912},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/phyton/v94n12/65274},
ISSN = {1851-5657},
ABSTRACT = {UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) play essential roles in plant secondary metabolism and stress responses, yet their composition and functions in <i>Sorghum bicolor</i>, a model C4 plant, remain inadequately characterized. This study identified 196 <i>SbUGT</i> 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, <i>SbUGT12</i> 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 <i>SbUGT12</i> in C4 photosynthesis, offering genetic resources for improving stress tolerance and photosynthetic efficiency in sorghum.},
DOI = {10.32604/phyton.2025.073736}
}