Identification, Characterization and Expression Analysis of the Sucrose Phosphate Synthase Gene Family in Vitis vinifera

Abstract

Sucrose is the end product of photosynthesis in plants. Sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) is a plant enzyme involved in sucrose biosynthesis that plays a crucial role in sugar metabolism, plant growth and biomass accumulation. So far, SPS gene family in grape (Vitis vinifera) has not been described. In this study, the genome-wide identification and characterization of SPS genes (VviSPS) in grape were analyzed. The physical and chemical properties, gene structure, evolutionary relationship, conserved domains, protein structure prediction and expression analyses were performed. In the results, total 4 putative VviSPS genes were identified, all of which had similar characteristics in genome and peptide sequences. Meanwhile, the four VviSPS genes also showed similar expression patterns in different tissues. They were mainly active in leaves and pulps, especially in mature leaves and early pulps. In conclusion, these results would provide a reference for the VviSPS gene function analysis in the future.