Abstract
BACKGROUND: Rop (RHO of plants) proteins are the plant-specific subfamily of RHO small GTP-binding proteins and act as a molecular switch to converge on a wide range of upstream signals and elicit downstream signaling cascades involving in modulating developmental processes and managing environmental stress. Although the function of Rops has been well studied in many plant species, the research conducting on Rops in potato is limited. RESULTS: In this work, a total of 11 Rop members were identified in the potato (Solanum tuberosum) genome. A comprehensive analysis encompassing their phylogenetic relationships, chromosomal locations, collinearity, conserved motifs, gene structures, cis-regulatory elements, tissue-specific expression profiles, and responses to biotic stress were undertaken. Phylogenetic and collinearity analyses suggested that 11 StRops were categorized into four groups, and five StRop genes (StRop6, StRop7, StRop8, StRop9 and StRop10) were incorporated in segmental duplication events. Synteny analysis indicated that five and eight StRop genes were orthologous to Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), respectively. Tissue-specific expression analysis confirmed that StRops were widely expressed in various potato tissues, with variety-specific expression, implicating their multiple roles in growth and development in potato. The cis-regulatory elements related to stress response and hormone response were found in the promoters of StRop genes. Most StRops, including StRop2, StRop3, StRop8, StRop9, StRop10 and StRop11, were shown to be significantly differentially expressed in three different cultivars after infection with various pathogens (Phytophthora infestans, Fusarium oxysporum and Verticillium dahliae). Knock-down each of StRop3, StRop7 and StRop8 by virus induced gene silencing (VIGS) resulted in increased susceptibility of potato to pathogens P. infestans and V. dahliae, and transient silencing of StRop6 led to enhanced potato root colonization by V. dahliae, indicating their distinct roles in response to different pathogen challenges. CONCLUSIONS: The results unveil the structural characteristics of StRop genes, and provide the basic knowledge for further elucidating the gene functions of individual members in response to biotic stress.