Acta Agriculturae Zhejiangensis ›› 2026, Vol. 38 ›› Issue (1): 35-53.DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1004-1524.20250081

• Crop Science • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Identification of GRAS gene family members and their regulatory roles in reproductive development in Chenopodium quinoa

YANG Yanga(), ZHANG Shuaia, DONG Chenwenhuaa,b, ZENG Mengqionga, LIN Chuna,b, MAO Zichaoa,b,*()   

  1. College of Agriculture and Biotechnology; b. Research Center of Featured Minor Crops, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming 650201, China
  • Received:2025-02-07 Online:2026-01-25 Published:2026-02-11

Abstract:

The GRAS gene family plays an essential regulatory role in plant growth, development, and stress responses, but no relevant reports have been published on its function in the reproductive development of quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa). Based on the latest quinoa genome data, this study systematically identified and analyzed the quinoa GRAS family (CqGRAS) members, focusing on their gene structures, promoter cis-acting elements, as well as their expression patterns and regulatory mechanisms during vegetative and reproductive growth stages. Additionally, a comparative analysis was conducted between the CqGRAS members and the GRAS genes of Arabidopsis thaliana and the diploid ancestral species of quinoa, Chenopodium watsonii(A genome) and Chenopodium suecicum(B genome). A total of 51 CqGRAS genes were identified. These genes generally contained few introns and exhibited high homology with the GRAS genes of Arabidopsis and the diploid Chenopodium species. Promoter analysis revealed that these genes were enriched with cis-acting elements responsive to plant hormones (such as gibberellin, abscisic acid, ethylene, and jasmonic acid), growth and development, as well as stress signals. Phylogenetic analysis classified the CqGRAS family into 10 subfamilies, among which HAM (CqHAM01), PAT1 (CqPAT1-06/07/08), DELLA (CqDELLA01/02), DLT (CqDLT01/02), and SHR (CqSHR05/06) showed relatively high expression levels in inflorescences and developing seeds. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) suggested that these CqGRAS genes associated with reproductive development might regulate the growth and development of quinoa flowers and seeds by integrating light signaling and hormone signaling pathways. This study provided novel insights into the role of the GRAS family in quinoa reproductive development and laid the foundation for further elucidation of its molecular mechanisms and breeding applications.

Key words: Chenopodium quinoa, GRAS gene family, reproductive regulation, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), reproductive development

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