Abstract
Drought stress is one of the major constraints that decreases global crop productivity. Alfalfa, planted mainly in arid and semi-arid areas, is of crucial importance in sustaining the agricultural system. The family 1 UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGT) is indispensable because it takes part in the regulation of plant growth and stress resistance. However, a comprehensive insight into the participation of the UGT family in adaptation of alfalfa to drought environments is lacking. In the present study, a genome-wide analysis and profiling of the UGT in alfalfa were carried out. A total of 409 UGT genes in alfalfa (MsUGT) were identified and they are clustered into 13 groups. The expression pattern of MsUGT genes were analyzed by RNA-seq data in six tissues and under different stresses. The quantitative real-time PCR verification genes suggested the distinct role of the MsUGT genes under different drought stresses and abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Furthermore, the function of MsUGT003 and MsUGT024, which were upregulated under drought stress and ABA treatment, were characterized by heterologous expression in yeast. Taken together, this study comprehensively analyzed the UGT gene family in alfalfa for the first time and provided useful information for improving drought tolerance and in molecular breeding of alfalfa.