Identification of ABA Signaling Pathway Genes and Their Differential Regulation in Response to Suboptimal Light Stress in Grape (Vitis vinifera L.)

Abstract

Suboptimal light stress in grapevines is increasing worldwide with the spread of grapevine cultivation, which can affect grapevine physiology and productivity, such as in Southern China. Abscisic acid (ABA) is an important hormone in plant adaptive responses to abiotic stress, including low light stress. However, ABA signaling pathway genes (APGs) are not well characterized in the grapevine, and little is known of their potentially mitigating role in grapevine growth under weak light stress. Our study aimed to explore the potential role of the ABA signaling pathway in the response of grapevines to suboptimal light conditions. In this study, APGs were identified in the grapevine genome, and the distribution of conserved motifs was shown to reflect their phylogenetic relationships. Gene duplication analysis indicated that segmental duplication was an important driver for gene expansion in the grapevine ABA signaling pathway. Suboptimal conditions of light were shown to seriously affect the growth of grapevine leaves and berries, with the differential regulation of APGs in the grapevine. Our study summarizes the basic characteristics of APGs in grapevine, which can now be examined further for their roles in grapevine’s response to suboptimal light conditions.