Integrative genomics analysis of the ever-shrinking pectin methylesterase (PME) gene family in foxtail millet (

Pectin methylesterase (PME) plays a vital role in the growth and development of plants. Their genes can be classified into two types, with Type-1 having an extra domain, PMEI. PME genes in foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) have not been identified, and their sequence features and evolution have not been explored. Here, we identified 41 foxtail millet PME genes. Decoding the pro-region, containing the PMEI domain, revealed its more active nature than the DNA encoding PME domain, easier to be lost to produce Type-2 PME genes. We inferred that the active nature of the pro-region could be related to its harbouring more repetitive DNA sequences. Further, we revealed that though whole-genome duplication and tandem duplication contributed to producing new copies of PME genes, phylogenetic analysis provided clear evidence of ever-shrinking gene family size in foxtail millet and the other grasses in the past 100 million years. Phylogenetic analysis also supports the existence of two gene groups, Group I and Group II, with genes in Group II being more conservative. Our research contributes to understanding how DNA sequence structure affects the functional innovation and evolution of PME genes.