Open Access

ARTICLE

Genomic Characterization of BvMLO Genes in Sugar Beet Focusing on BvMLO2 BvMLO7 Responses to Cercospora beticola and Abiotic Stress

Ran Li^1,#, Liuhong Chen^1,#, Yu Liu¹, Chunlei Zhao^1,2, Yanli Li^1,2, Guangzhou Ding^1,2,*

1 College of Modern Agriculture and Ecological Environment, Heilongjiang University, Harbin, 150080, China
2 Sugar Beet Engineering Research Center of Heilongjiang Province, Heilongjiang University, Harbin, 150080, China

* Corresponding Author: Guangzhou Ding. Email:
# These authors contributed equally to this work

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2025, 94(3), 875-895. https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2025.061550

Received 27 November 2024; Accepted 26 February 2025; Issue published 31 March 2025

Abstract

Mildew resistance locus O (MLO) proteins are extensively found in various plant species and are essential for multiple biological functions. The characterization and analysis of MLO genes have been conducted across numerous species. However, the functions and features of MLO genes inside sugar beet remain poorly understood. In the present research, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the structural features of MLO genes, physicochemical characteristics of proteins, evolutionary connections, and expression profiles in sugar beet. A total of 13 BvMLO genes containing MLO structural domains were detected and renamed based on their locations on chromosomes within the sugar beet genome. According to the classification of AtMLO genes, the evolutionary analysis revealed that these 13 BvMLO genes were classified into three subgroups and unevenly located across four chromosomes. Synteny and collinearity analysis confirmed that gene clusters occurred during the evolution of the BvMLO gene family. Examination of cis-regulatory elements revealed specific stress-induced and hormone-associated components within the regulatory regions of BvMLOs. We also found that the expression levels of BvMLO2 and BvMLO7 cloned from sugar beet plants inoculated by Erysiphe betae (Vanha) were significantly regulated by Cercospora beticola Sacc (C. beticola), which indicated that they might both participate in some disease resistance processes. Moreover, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) results confirmed that BvMLO2 and BvMLO7 were involved in plant resistance to various biotic and abiotic stress factors. Overall, this research provides a fundamental basis for upcoming studies on the functions and control mechanisms of BvMLO genes within sugar beet. These research findings help advance the progress of disease-resistant breeding in sugar beet and enhance the effectiveness of its resistance breeding.

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Supplementary Material

Supplementary Material File

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