Background: The serine carboxypeptidase-like protein (SCPL) family plays a vital role in stress response, growth, development and pathogen defense. However, the identification and functional analysis of SCPL gene family members have not yet been performed in wheat. Results: In this study, we identified a total of 210 candidate genes encoding SCPL proteins in wheat. According to their structural characteristics, it is possible to divide these members into three subfamilies: CPI, CPII and CPIII. We uncovered a total of 209 TaSCPL genes unevenly distributed across 21 wheat chromosomes, of which 65.7% are present in triads. Gene duplication analysis showed that ~ 10.5% and ~ 64.8% of the TaSCPL genes are derived from tandem and segmental duplication events, respectively. Moreover, the Ka/Ks ratios between duplicated TaSCPL gene pairs were lower than 0.6, which suggests the action of strong purifying selection. Gene structure analysis showed that most of the TaSCPL genes contain multiple introns and that the motifs present in each subfamily are relatively conserved. Our analysis on cis-acting elements showed that the promoter sequences of TaSCPL genes are enriched in drought-, ABA- and MeJA-responsive elements. In addition, we studied the expression profiles of TaSCPL genes in different tissues at different developmental stages. We then evaluated the expression levels of four TaSCPL genes by qRT-PCR, and selected TaSCPL184-6D for further downstream analysis. The results showed an enhanced drought and salt tolerance among TaSCPL184-6D transgenic Arabidopsis plants, and that the overexpression of the gene increased proline and decreased malondialdehyde levels, which might help plants adapting to adverse environments. Our results provide comprehensive analyses of wheat SCPL genes that might work as a reference for future studies aimed at improving drought and salt tolerance in wheat. Conclusions: We conducte a comprehensive bioinformatic analysis of the TaSCPL gene family in wheat, which revealing the potential roles of TaSCPL genes in abiotic stress. Our analysis also provides useful resources for improving the resistance of wheat.

Background: Three-amino-loop-extension (TALE) superfamily genes are widely present in plants and function directly in plant growth and development and abiotic stress response. Although TALE genes have been studied in many plant species, members of the TALE family have not been identified in wheat. Results: In this study, we identified 70 wheat TALE protein candidate genes divided into two subfamilies, KNOX (KNOTTED-like homeodomain) and BEL1-like (BLH/BELL homeodomain). Genes in the same subfamily or branch in the phylogenetic tree are similar in structure, and their encoded proteins have similar motifs and conserved structures. Wheat TALE genes are unevenly distributed on 21 chromosomes and expanded on the fourth chromosome. Through gene duplication analysis, 53 pairs of wheat TALE genes were determined to result from segmental duplication events, and five pairs were caused by tandem duplication events. The Ka/Ks between TALE gene pairs indicates a strong purification and selection effect. There are multiple cis-elements in the 2000 bp promoter sequence that respond to hormones and abiotic stress, indicating that most wheat TALE genes are involved in the growth, development, and stress response of wheat. We also studied the expression profiles of wheat TALE genes in different developmental stages and tissues and under different stress treatments. We detected the expression levels of four TALE genes by qRT-PCR, and selected TaKNOX11-A for further downstream analysis. TaKNOX11-A enhanced the drought and salt tolerances of Arabidopsis thaliana. TaKNOX11-A overexpressing plants had decreased malondialdehyde content and increased proline content, allowing for more effective adaptation of plants to unfavorable environments. Conclusions: We identified TALE superfamily members in wheat and conducted a comprehensive bioinformatics analysis. The discovery of the potential role of TaKNOX11-A in drought resistance and salt tolerance provides a basis for follow-up studies of wheat TALE family members, and also provides new genetic resources for improving the stress resistance of wheat.

Background: VQ motif-containing (VQ) proteins are cofactors of transcriptional regulation that are widely involved in plant growth and development and respond to various stresses. The VQ gene family has been identified and characterized for many plants, but there is little research on VQ gene family proteins in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Results: In this study, 113 TaVQ genes (40 homoeologous groups) were identified in the wheat genome. TaVQ proteins all contain the conserved motif FxxhVQxhTG, and most of the TaVQ genes do not contain introns. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that TaVQ proteins can be divided into 8 subgroups (I-VIII). The chromosomal location mapping analysis indicated that TaVQ genes are disproportionally distributed on 21 wheat chromosomes. Gene duplication analysis revealed that segmental duplication significantly contributes to the expansion of the TaVQ gene family. Gene expression analysis demonstrated that the expression pattern of TaVQ genes varies in different tissues. The results of quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) found that TaVQ genes displayed different expression levels under different phytohormones and abiotic stresses. The cis-elements analysis of the promoter region demonstrated that stress responses, hormone responses, growth and development, and WRKY binding elements are all widely distributed. Additionally, a potential regulatory network between TaVQ proteins and WRKY transcription factors was visualized. Conclusion: This study systematically analyzed the wheat TaVQ gene family, providing a reference for further functional characterization of TaVQ genes in wheat.

In the hexaploid wheat genome, there are three Gα genes, three Gβ and twelve Gγ genes, but the function of Gβ in wheat has not been explored. In this study, we obtained the overexpression of TaGB1 Arabidopsis plants through inflorescence infection, and the overexpression of wheat lines was obtained by gene bombardment. The results showed that under drought and NaCl treatment, the survival rate of Arabidopsis seedlings’ overexpression of TaGB1-B was higher than that of the wild type, while the survival rate of the related mutant agb1-2 was lower than that of the wild type. The survival rate of wheat seedlings with TaGB1-B overexpression was higher than that of the control. In addition, under drought and salt stress, the levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and proline (Pro) in the wheat overexpression of TaGB1-B were higher than that of the control, and the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) was lower than that of the control. This indicates that TaGB1-B could improve the drought resistance and salt tolerance of Arabidopsis and wheat by scavenging active oxygen. Overall, this work provides a theoretical basis for wheat G-protein β-subunits in a further study, and new genetic resources for the cultivation of drought-tolerant and salt-tolerant wheat varieties.

Valine-glutamine motif proteins (VQ), plant-specific transcriptional co-regulators harboring the conserved FxxhVQxhTG motif, play pivotal roles in coordinating plant stress adaptation through dynamic interactions with WRKY transcription factors (WRKY), mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) cascades, and hormone signaling pathways. Evolutionary analyses reveal the characteristics of their evolutionary protection and ancient origin, with lineage-specific expansion via genome duplication events. Structurally, compact genes lacking introns and the presence of intrinsic disordered regions (IDRs) facilitate rapid stress responses and versatile protein interactions. Functionally, VQ proteins orchestrate abiotic stress tolerance (e.g., drought, salinity, temperature extremes) by modulating reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, osmotic balance, and abscisic acid/salicylic acid (ABA/SA)-mediated signaling. Concurrently, they enhance biotic stress resistance via pathogen-responsive WRKY-VQ modules that regulate defense gene expression and hormone crosstalk. Despite advances, challenges persist in deciphering post-translational modifications, tissue-specific functions, and cross-stress integration mechanisms. Harnessing CRISPR-based editing and multi-omics approaches will accelerate the exploitation of VQ genes for developing climate-resilient crops. This review synthesizes the molecular architecture, evolutionary dynamics, and multifunctional regulatory networks of VQ proteins, providing a roadmap for their utilization in sustainable agriculture.

The peptidase M24 (Metallopeptidase 24, M24) superfamily is essential for plant growth, stress response, and pathogen defense. At present, there are few systematic reports on the identification and classification of members of the peptidase M24 proteins superfamily in wheat. In this work, we identified 53 putative candidate TaM24 genes. According to the protein sequences characteristics, these members can be roughly divided into three subfamilies: I, II, III. Most TaM24 genes are complex with multiple exons, and the motifs are relatively conserved in each sub-group. Through chromosome mapping analysis, we found that the 53 genes were unevenly distributed on 19 wheat chromosomes (except 3A and 3D), of which 68% were in triads. Analysis of gene duplication events showed that 62% of TaM24 genes in wheat came from fragment duplication events, and there were no tandem duplication events to amplify genes. Analysis of the promoter sequences of TaM24 genes revealed that cis-acting elements were rich in response elements to drought, osmotic stress, ABA, and MeJA. We also studied the expression of TaM24 in wheat tissues at developmental stages and abiotic stress. Then we selected TaM24-9 as the target for further analysis. The results showed that TaM24-9 genes strengthened the drought and salt tolerance of plants. Overall, our analysis showed that members of the peptidase M24 genes may participate in the abiotic stress response and provided potential gene resources for improving wheat resistance.