Identification, Classification, and Expression Analysis of the <i>Triacylglycerol Lipase</i> (<i>TGL</i>) Gene Family Related to Abiotic Stresses in Tomato

• Main Authors: Qi Wang, Xin Xu, Xiaoyu Cao, Tixu Hu, Dongnan Xia, Jianhua Zhu, Xiangqiang Zhan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
• Series: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
• Subjects: tomato; triacylglycerol lipase (TGL); classification; phylogenetic analysis; gene expression patterns; abiotic stress responses
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/22/3/1387
• ISSN: 1661-6596; 1422-0067

Triacylglycerol Lipases (TGLs) are the major enzymes involved in triacylglycerol catabolism. TGLs hydrolyze long-chain fatty acid triglycerides, which are involved in plant development and abiotic stress responses. Whereas most studies of TGLs have focused on seed oil metabolism and biofuel in plants, limited information is available regarding the genome-wide identification and characterization of the <i>TGL</i> gene family in tomato (<i>Solanum lycopersicum</i> L.). Based on the latest published tomato genome annotation ITAG4.0, 129 <i>SlTGL</i> genes were identified and classified into 5 categories according to their structural characteristics. Most <i>SlTGL</i> genes were distributed on 3 of 12 chromosomes. Segment duplication appeared to be the driving force underlying expansion of the <i>TGL</i> gene family in tomato. The promoter analysis revealed that the promoters of <i>SlTGL</i>s contained many stress responsiveness <i>cis</i>-elements, such as ARE, LTR, MBS, WRE3, and WUN-motifs. Expression of the majority of <i>SlTGL</i> genes was suppressed following exposure to chilling and heat, while it was induced under drought stress, such as <i>SlTGLa9, SlTGLa6, SlTGLa25, SlTGLa26</i>, and <i>SlTGLa13</i>. These results provide valuable insights into the roles of the <i>SlTGL</i> genes family and lay a foundation for further functional studies on the linkage between triacylglycerol catabolism and abiotic stress responses in tomato.