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Volume 48
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10.3390/cimb48040393
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Evolutionary Characteristics and Expression Patterns of the UGT Gene Family in Epimedium from Gansu, China

by
Luna Xing
,
Jun Zhao
,
Qianwen Song
,
Chunlei Zheng
,
Qingyan Zhao
,
Wei Chen
,
Xiaowei Zhang
,
Xuhu Wang
,
Weibo Du
,
Songsong Lu
* and
Xiaolei Zhou
*
College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2026, 48(4), 393; https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48040393 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 9 March 2026 / Revised: 8 April 2026 / Accepted: 9 April 2026 / Published: 11 April 2026
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Molecular Breeding and Genetics Research in Plants—3rd Edition)
Versions Notes

Abstract

Epimedium brevicornu is an important medicinal plant in China, whose main bioactive components are flavonoid glycosides. UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs) play key roles in flavonoid glycosylation and metabolic diversification. In this study, transcriptome data from four representative production regions in Gansu Province were used to systematically identify and analyze the UGT gene family in E. brevicornu. A total of 359 UGT members were identified, and 168 homologous genes with clear expression evidence were obtained from four geographical populations. Molecular evolutionary analysis showed that most UGT genes were under purifying selection, whereas UGT2, UGT52, UGT57, UGT241, UGT269, and UGT271 exhibited significant signals of positive selection in specific lineages (p < 0.05). Protein interaction analysis indicated that many UGT proteins were closely associated with key enzymes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis, including CHS (TT4), CHI (TT5), F3H, FLS, and DFR, suggesting their potential involvement in flavonoid metabolism. Promoter analysis further revealed a high enrichment of ERF (11,169 occurrences) and MYB (7673 occurrences) transcription factor binding sites in the upstream regions of UGT genes. In addition, UGT57 and UGT241 showed significantly higher expression levels in the QLH population. Molecular docking analysis indicated relatively strong binding affinities with quercetin, with binding energies of −7.23 kcal/mol and −4.62 kcal/mol, respectively. These results suggest that the sequence variation and differential expression of UGT genes may be associated with flavonoid glycosylation and ecological adaptation in Epimedium. This study provides a basis for understanding the evolutionary characteristics and expression patterns of the UGT gene family and offers candidate genes for future studies on flavonoid metabolism.
Keywords: UGT gene family; Epimedium brevicornu; molecular evolution; flavonoid glycosylation UGT gene family; Epimedium brevicornu; molecular evolution; flavonoid glycosylation

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MDPI and ACS Style

Xing, L.; Zhao, J.; Song, Q.; Zheng, C.; Zhao, Q.; Chen, W.; Zhang, X.; Wang, X.; Du, W.; Lu, S.; et al. Evolutionary Characteristics and Expression Patterns of the UGT Gene Family in Epimedium from Gansu, China. Curr. Issues Mol. Biol. 2026, 48, 393. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48040393

AMA Style

Xing L, Zhao J, Song Q, Zheng C, Zhao Q, Chen W, Zhang X, Wang X, Du W, Lu S, et al. Evolutionary Characteristics and Expression Patterns of the UGT Gene Family in Epimedium from Gansu, China. Current Issues in Molecular Biology. 2026; 48(4):393. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48040393

Chicago/Turabian Style

Xing, Luna, Jun Zhao, Qianwen Song, Chunlei Zheng, Qingyan Zhao, Wei Chen, Xiaowei Zhang, Xuhu Wang, Weibo Du, Songsong Lu, and et al. 2026. "Evolutionary Characteristics and Expression Patterns of the UGT Gene Family in Epimedium from Gansu, China" Current Issues in Molecular Biology 48, no. 4: 393. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48040393

APA Style

Xing, L., Zhao, J., Song, Q., Zheng, C., Zhao, Q., Chen, W., Zhang, X., Wang, X., Du, W., Lu, S., & Zhou, X. (2026). Evolutionary Characteristics and Expression Patterns of the UGT Gene Family in Epimedium from Gansu, China. Current Issues in Molecular Biology, 48(4), 393. https://doi.org/10.3390/cimb48040393

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