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Acta Agronomica Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 51 ›› Issue (7): 1969-1978.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1006.2025.44210

• RESEARCH NOTES • Previous Articles    

Promoter characterization and expression pattern analysis of the m6A methyltransferase gene SiMTA1 in foxtail millet

SHEN Ao1,2,LIU Min2,NI Di-An1,*,LIU Wei2,*   

  1. 1 School of Ecological Technology & Engineering, Shanghai Institute of Technology, Shanghai 201418, China; 2 Institute of Crop Germplasm Resources, Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Jinan 250100, Shandong, China
  • Received:2024-12-17 Revised:2024-04-30 Accepted:2024-04-30 Online:2025-07-12 Published:2025-05-12
  • Supported by:
    This study was supported by the Shandong Provincial Key Research and Development Program (2021LZGC025), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32171955, 32201736), and the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Project of the Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CXGC2023F13).

Abstract:

MTA, a key RNA methyltransferase responsible for m6A methylation, also influences embryonic development and plays crucial roles in plant growth by interacting with other enzymes. In this study, the SiMTA1 gene (accession no. PQ801843) from foxtail millet was identified through homology alignment with Arabidopsis methyltransferase sequences. The gene is 4,239 bp in length, with a 2,121 bp coding sequence (CDS) encoding a protein of 706 amino acids. Bioinformatic analyses were conducted on both the nucleotide and protein sequences, and cis-acting elements in the promoter region were characterized. The spatiotemporal expression patterns of SiMTA1 under various abiotic stresses and hormone treatments were examined using qRT-PCR. The results showed that SiMTA1 contains the MT-A70 domain, subunit of N6-adenosine methyltransferase (MTase) that binds S-adenosylmethionine (SAM), and its secondary structure is mainly composed of random coils and α-helices. The SiMTA1 promoter harbors multiple stress- and hormone-responsive cis-elements. SiMTA1 is highly expressed in stem internodes during the heading stage of foxtail millet, and its expression is upregulated by salt, drought, auxin, cytokinin, and other treatments. These findings suggest that SiMTA1 may participate in developmental processes and responses to environmental and hormonal signals in foxtail millet. This study provides a theoretical foundation and a potential candidate gene for the genetic improvement of stress-resistant foxtail millet varieties.

Key words: foxtail millet, methyltransferase SiMTA1, promoter characteristics, stress and plant hormone response, spatiotemporal expression pattern

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