Identification, evolution and expression analysis of the UDP-glycosyltransferase gene family in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.)

The UDP-glycosyltransferase (UGT) family is known for having the largest number of glycosyltransferases, and research has highlighted the fundamental role of UGT family members in both plant development and stress response. Cucumber is an important vegetable crop cultivated worldwide, however, the UGT family members was not studied in cucumber. Therefore, identified and characterization of the CsUGT gene family in cucumber was performed in this study. A total of 94 members of the CsUGT family were identified, which were distributed across the seven chromosomes. Cis-acting elements analysis of the CsUGT genes indicated their potential role in development and responses to stresses. Phylogenetic, collinearity, and motif analyses revealed a high degree of conservation among UGT family members in different species. Furthermore, expression analysis of the CsUGT genes was performed using the transcriptome data from previous studies and by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) in this study. The results revealed that these genes exhibit specific spatial and temporal expression patterns, and their expression were in response to different stresses. In addition, the CsUGT genes that potentially targeted by miRNA was predicted, and 74 CsUGT genes might be regulated by 41 miRNAs in cucumber. To further investigate the function of CsUGT family members, we conducted analysis of transcriptional regulation and protein-protein interactions (PPI). It showed that 47 CsUGTs have the capability to interact with other members of the CsUGT family, and 1844 transcription factors (TFs) might regulate 64 CsUGT genes. These findings provided a foundation for further investigation into the function of the CsUGT gene family in cucumber.