Genome-wide identification of cyclic nucleotide-gated channel gene family in Solanum tuberosum (StCNGCs) and silencing of StCNGC2 provides resistance to Pectobacterium carotovorum

Kaile Sun¹Shuai Liu¹Huipo Mao¹Qianqian Zha¹Han Liu¹Shunshan Shen¹Evert Jacobsen²Richard Gerardus Franciscus Visser²Yuling Bai²Chengwei Li¹Zhiqi Jia¹Yawen Shen¹Geng Meng^1*

• ¹Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China
• ²Plant Breeding, Wageningen Plant Research, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, Netherlands

The cyclic nucleotide-gated ion channel (CNGC) genes play a vital role in plant growth and developmental processes, and response to biotic and abiotic stresses. Nevertheless, the current research on CNGCs in potato (Solanum tuberosum) remains poorly addressed.Potato blackleg disease is one of the most devastating diseases in the world, causing significant losses in the potato industry. Understanding the connection between blackleg disease and the StCNGC gene family is of great importance. Here, 11 StCNGCs were identified in the genome of Solanum tuberosum. Our phylogenetic study categorized these StCNGCs into five groups. Analysis of gene structures and conserved motifs, revealed significant structural conservation, especially among groups. Tissue-specific expression and stress-responsive expression profile of the StCNGC genes analysis showed that most StCNGCs were induced under biotic stress conditions. Notably, silencing StCNGC2 in potato conferred resistance to blackleg disease, which was associated with the upregulation of the StPR1 gene, a pathogenesis-related marker. Together, our results highlight the crucial role of StCNGC2 in biotic stress response and establish a foundation for further study of StCNGCs biological functions.