Aquaporins (AQPs) are essential membrane proteins involved in seed maturation and germination, stomata movement, photosynthesis, and regulation of plant flowering processes. Pitaya flowers are open at night and wither at daybreak, which shows an obvious circadian rhythm. In this study, a comprehensive genome-wide
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Aquaporins (AQPs) are essential membrane proteins involved in seed maturation and germination, stomata movement, photosynthesis, and regulation of plant flowering processes. Pitaya flowers are open at night and wither at daybreak, which shows an obvious circadian rhythm. In this study, a comprehensive genome-wide analysis of
AQPs in
Hylocereus undantus was conducted to screen key genes associated with flowering processes. A total of 33
HuAQP genes were identified from the
H. undantus genome. The 33
HuAQPs were grouped into four subfamilies: 10 PIPs, 13 TIPs, 8 NIPs, and 2 SIPs, which were distributed on 9 out of 11 pitaya chromosomes (Chr) (except for Chr7 and Chr10). Results from expression profiles showed that
HuNIP6;1 may be involved in pitaya’s floral opening.
HuNIP6;1 was localized exclusively in the cell membrane. Overexpression of
HuNIP6;1 in
Arabidopsis thaliana significantly promoted early flowering through regulating negative flowering regulators of
MJM30,
COL9, and
PRR5, suggesting that
HuNIP6;1 plays key roles in regulating flowering time. The present study provides the first genome-wide analysis of the
AQP gene family in pitaya and valuable information for utilization of
HuAQPs.
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