Genome-Wide Analysis and Expression Profiling of Glutathione Reductase Gene Family in Oat () Indicate Their Responses to Abiotic Stress during Seed Imbibition.

Abiotic stress disturbs plant cellular redox homeostasis, inhibiting seed germination and plant growth. This is a crucial limitation to crop yield. Glutathione reductase (GR) is an important component of the ascorbate-glutathione (AsA-GSH) cycle which is involved in multiple plant metabolic processes. In the present study, GRs in () were selected to explore their molecular characterization, phylogenetic relationship, and RNA expression changes during seed imbibition under abiotic stress. Seven genes were identified and mapped on six chromosomes of A, C, and D subgenomes. Phylogenetic analysis and subcellular localization of AsGR proteins divided them into two sub-families, AsGR1 and AsGR2, which were predicted to be mainly located in cytoplasm, mitochondrion, and chloroplast. -elements relevant to stress and hormone responses are distributed in promoter regions of . Tissue-specific expression profiling showed that genes were highly expressed in roots, leaves, and seeds, while genes were highly expressed in leaves and seeds. Both and genes showed a decreasing-increasing expression trend during seed germination under non-stress conditions. In addition, their responses to drought, salt, cold, copper, HO, and ageing treatments were quite different during seed imbibition. Among the seven genes, and responded more significantly, especially under drought, ageing, and HO stress. This study has laid the ground for the functional characterization of GR and the improvement of oat stress tolerance and seed vigor.