Genome-Wide Analysis of the Protein Phosphatase 2C Genes in Tomato

Abstract

The plant protein phosphatase 2C (PP2C) plays an irreplaceable role in phytohormone signaling, developmental processes, and manifold stresses. However, information about the <i>PP2C</i> gene family in tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i>) is relatively restricted. In this study, a genome-wide investigation of the <i>SlPP2C</i> gene family was performed. A total of 92 <i>SlPP2C</i> genes were identified, they were distributed on 11 chromosomes, and all the SlPP2C proteins have the type 2C phosphatase domains. Based on phylogenetic analysis of <i>PP2C</i> genes in <i>Arabidopsis,</i> rice, and tomato, <i>SlPP2C</i> genes were divided into eight groups, designated A-H, which is also supported by the analyses of gene structures and protein motifs. Gene duplication analysis revealed that the duplication of whole genome and chromosome segments was the main cause of <i>SLPP2Cs</i> expansion. A total of 26 cis-elements related to stress, hormones, and development were identified in the 3 kb upstream region of these <i>SlPP2C</i> genes. Expression profile analysis revealed that the <i>SlPP2C</i> genes display diverse expression patterns in various tomato tissues. Furthermore, we investigated the expression patterns of <i>SlPP2C</i> genes in response to <i>Ralstonia solanacearum</i> infection. RNA-seq and qRT-PCR data reveal that nine <i>SlPP2Cs</i> are correlated with <i>R. solanacearum</i>. The above evidence hinted that <i>SlPP2C</i> genes play multiple roles in tomato and may contribute to tomato resistance to bacterial wilt. This study obtained here will give an impetus to the understanding of the potential function of <i>SlPP2Cs</i> and lay a solid foundation for tomato breeding and transgenic resistance to plant pathogens.