Genome-Wide Analysis of the GLK Gene Family and Its Expression at Different Leaf Ages in the Citrus Cultivar Kanpei

Abstract

The GLK gene family plays a crucial role in the regulation of chloroplast development and participates in chlorophyll synthesis. However, the precise mechanism by which GLK contributes to citrus’s chlorophyll synthesis remains elusive. The GLK gene family causes variations in the photosynthetic capacity and chlorophyll synthesis of different citrus varieties. In this study, we identified tissue-specific members and the key CcGLKs involved in chlorophyll synthesis. A total of thirty CcGLK transcription factors (TFs) were discovered in the citrus genome, distributed across all nine chromosomes. The low occurrence of gene tandem duplication events and intronic variability suggests that intronic variation may be the primary mode of evolution for CcGLK TFs. Tissue-specific expression patterns were observed for various GLK family members; for instance, CcGLK12 and CcGLK15 were specifically expressed in the skin, while CcGLK30 was specific to the ovary, and CcGLK10, CcGLK6, CcGLK21, CcGLK2, CcGLK18, CcGLK9, CcGLK28, and CcGLK8 were specifically expressed in the leaves. CcGLK4, CcGLK5, CcGLK11, CcGLK23, CcGLKl7, CcGLK26, and CcGLK20 may participate in the regulation of the ALA, prochlorophylate, protoporphyrin IX, Mg-protoporphyrin IX, Chl b, T-Chl, MG-ProtoIX ME, and POR contents in citrus.