Identification and Expression Analysis of Adenylate Kinase Gene Family in Potato

Abstract

Adenylate kinase (ADK) is a key enzyme that is widely distributed in animals and plants. It plays an important role in growth and stress response. However, ADK genes in potato (StADK) have been little reported. It is of great significance to identify ADK members and understand the molecular mechanism of stress response and tolerance. Based on the potato genome data, 23 StADK genes were identified at a genome-wide level. We then performed a comprehensive study using a bioinformatics method. The results of the evolutionary tree showed that StADK proteins were divided into four groups, and they were highly homologous to the Arabidopsis thaliana ADK members. Meanwhile, our study found that they existed on eight chromosomes, and we obtained three pairs of fragment duplications. Furthermore, we detected the six selected StADK genes using qRT-PCR, and the results confirmed that the genes are involved in the regulation of cold, ABA, salt, H2O2 and drought stresses. Our study provides a theoretical basis for studying the function of the potato ADK genes and lays a solid foundation for further understanding the molecular mechanism of the potato ADK genes under various environmental stresses.