In-silico characterization and expression study of eIF genes associated with abiotic stresses in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.).

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.), belonging to the family Solanaceae, is a profitable vegetable crop and known to meet the demand of global food security. Abiotic stresses viz. heat, cold and drought in potato cause triggering of tissue necrosis, drastic reduction in tuber development and crop yield. In the current investigation, in-silico analysis method was used to target about thirty-one eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) genes in potato and these were localized on the entire twelve chromosomes in potato. Ten conserved motifs and cis-response elements each were identified that governs the regulation of gene expression through activation or repression of molecular machinery corresponding to abiotic stresses. The phylogenetic tree was classified into three clades giving the accurate demarcation of genes related to initiation and elongation processes of translation process. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was used for the validation of three eIF genes i.e. SteIF1a.1, SteIF3 and SteIF4B-1 that showed high expression in relation to salt, cold and drought stress respectively, in potato. These findings suggest that these genes could be exploited for functional genomics and gene editing approaches paving the way towards the development of resilient potato cultivars to achieve the abiotic stress tolerance in future potato breeding programmes.