Title : Genome-wide characterization and analysis of RabGAP gene family related to salt stress tolerant in wild and cultivated tomato species.
Abstract:
RabGAP (RabGTPase-activating protein) is an important class of proteins responsible for directing deactivation of RabGTPases protein by hydrolyzing GTP. The RabGTPases are known to be implicated in the regulation of the trafficking vesicular and salt stress tolerance. The cultivated tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is one of the most important crops of the world, however, the abiotic stress, among them saline stress, is the main limitation for the increase its yield, development and agronomic properties. On the other hand, wild tomato species such as Solanum pimpinellifolium, Solanum habrochaites, Solanum pennellii or Solanum chilense, among others, are tolerant to abiotic stress, and thrive in salinity and drought extreme environments due to a diverse set of genes and mechanisms that allow them to adapt to these different habitats. The recent sequencing of the S. pennellii genome, in addition to S. lycopersicum and S. pimpinellifolium genomes, provides an excellent opportunity for genome-wide profiling of RabGAP genes and identify their function in response to salt stress in different and related tomato species. In this sense, with HMM and domain scanning we have identified 24 RabGAP genes with TBC and Rab3-GTPase domain in each one of the three-tomato species. Gene and amino-acid structure, phylogenetic and synteny analyzes, prediction protein-protein interactions, and temporal expression analysis in different organs provided insight about the role of RabGAP proteins in tomato. Analysis of gene expression using microarray database and qRT-PCR of RabGAP genes family in wild and cultivated tomato species in response to salt stress are conducted in search of candidate genes that could be used in programs of genetic improvement for the development of tolerance to salinity in crop plants.
