Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Kiwifruit Leucine-Rich Repeat Receptor-Like Proteins Reveal Their Roles in Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses

Abstract

Leucine-rich repeat receptor-like proteins (LRR-RLPs), a major group of receptor-like proteins in plants, have diverse functions in plant physiology, including growth, development, signal transduction, and stress responses. Despite their importance, the specific roles of kiwifruit LRR-RLPs in response to biotic and abiotic stresses remain poorly understood. In this study, we performed family identification, characterization, transcriptome data analysis, and differential gene expression analysis of kiwifruit LRR-RLPs. We identified totals of 101, 164, and 105 LRR-RLPs in Actinidia chinensis ‘Hongyang’, Actinidia eriantha ‘Huate’, and Actinidia chinensis ‘Red5’, respectively. Synteny analysis revealed that the expansion of kiwifruit LRR-RLPs was primarily attributed to segmental duplication events. Based on RNA-seq data from pathogen-infected kiwifruits, we identified specific LRR-RLP genes potentially involved in different stages of pathogen infection. Additionally, we observed the potential involvement of kiwifruit LRR-RLPs in abiotic stress responses, with upstream transcription factors possibly regulating their expression. Furthermore, protein interaction network analysis unveiled the participation of kiwifruit LRR-RLP in the regulatory network of abiotic stress responses. These findings highlight the crucial roles of LRR-RLPs in mediating both biotic and abiotic stress responses in kiwifruit, offering valuable insights for the breeding of stress-resistant kiwifruit varieties.