Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of the NCED Gene Family in Cold Stress Response of Prunus mume Siebold & Zucc

Abstract

The 9-cis-epoxy carotenoid dioxygenase (NCED) is an enzyme that is crucial in abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis, and its role is vital in plant development and abiotic stress. However, the function of the NCED family in Rosaceae plant species remains unclear. Through genome-wide screening, we identified 10, 10, 11, 12 and 13 NCED genes in Prunus mume, Prunus apricot, Prunus salicina, Prunus persica, and Rosa chinensis, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis showed that these NCED genes were divided into six groups. Gene structure analysis showed that the number and size of introns were relatively constant in each subfamily, while the motif composition differed significantly among them. Collinearity analysis revealed a high homology of NCEDs in the Prunus genus. Promoter cis-acting element analysis showed that eight PmNCEDs contained abscisic acid-responsive elements (ABRE). Furthermore, expression profile analysis based on qRT-PCR revealed that PmNCED3, PmNCED8 and PmNCED9 were up-regulated in response to low temperature stress, suggesting their significant role in the plant’s response to cold stress. These findings provide insights into the structure and evolution of PmNCEDs and lay the foundation for further studies regarding their function during cold stress.