ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Abiotic Stress
Genome-wide comparative analysis of the HSP90 gene family in four Ipomoea species and functional insights into the potentiality of IbHSP90-2 in low temperature tolerance
Lizhe Shu
Kun Zhu
Xingyu Wang
Lilin Cheng
Shuo Zhou
Mingku Zhu
Xiaowan Gou
Zongyun Li
Jiangsu Normal University, Xuzhou, China
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Abstract
The 90-kDa heat shock protein (HSP90) acts as an essential molecular chaperone, involving plant resilience against diverse abiotic and biotic stresses. Although HSP90 genes have been studied in various plant species, they have not yet been characterized in sweetpotato. This study identified 10 HSP90 genes in I. batatas, 11 in I. trifida, and 10 each in I. triloba and I. cordatotriloba. Chromosomal localization analysis showed an uneven distribution of HSP90 genes across 15 chromosomes. Phylogenetic and collinearity analyses grouped these genes into four subfamilies, with segmental duplication being the main factor for gene family expansion. Promoter analysis revealed multiple stress-responsive cis-acting elements, indicating that IbHSP90 genes may play a role in stress regulation. Expression analysis revealed that most IbHSP90s were downregulated under cold, salt, and PEG-induced drought stresses. Additionally, we developed a protein-protein interaction network that identified connections with heat shock factors. Experiments on subcellular localization revealed that IbHSP90-2 is present in both the cytoplasm and nucleus. Finally, heterologous expression of IbHSP90-2 in yeast compromised cold resistance. This study offers a significant resource for comprehending the evolution of plant HSP90 proteins and supports the genetic enhancement of cold tolerance in sweetpotato.
Summary
Keywords
abiotic stress, Hsp90, I. cordatotriloba, I. trifida, I. triloba, Sweetpotato
Received
19 January 2026
Accepted
18 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Shu, Zhu, Wang, Cheng, Zhou, Zhu, Gou and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Lizhe Shu; Xiaowan Gou; Zongyun Li
Disclaimer
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