biologia plantarum

International journal on Plant Life established by Bohumil Nìmec in 1959

Biologia plantarum 70:159-170, 2026 | DOI: 10.32615/bp.2026.017

Identification and expression patterns of 4-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase genes in Agave

Xu-Xia WANG1, Na ZHANG2, *, Liang CHEN3, Bo WANG4, Jing-Yi LU5, Xiao-Li HU4, Xing HUANG4, 6, *
1 School of Smart Cities and Biohealth, Wuchang Shouyi University, Wuhan 430064, P.R. China
2 Institute of Crop, Wuhan Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Wuhan 430065, P.R. China
3 School of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Hubei Vocational College of Bio-Technology, Wuhan 430070, P.R. China
4 National Key Laboratory for Tropical Crop Breeding, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, P.R. China
5 School of Geography and Planning, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510006, P.R. China
6 Sanya Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Sanya 572025, P.R. China

Background and aims: 4-Coumarate:CoA ligase (4CL) is a key enzyme in the phenylpropanoid pathway, directing metabolic flux toward lignin and flavonoid biosynthesis. This study aimed to identify and characterize the 4CL gene family (Ah4CLs) in Agave and to analyze their expression patterns during leaf development and under heavy metal and biotic stresses.

Methods: Ah4CL genes were identified from transcriptome data. Phylogenetic analysis was performed using the Maximum Likelihood (ML) method with IQ-TREE. Expression patterns were examined by qPCR across three leaf developmental stages and under copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and Phytophthora nicotianae treatments.

Results: Phylogenetic analysis classified the five genes into three groups: Group I (Ah4CL1, predicted lignin-related), Group II (Ah4CL2, predicted flavonoid-related), and Group III (Ah4CL3-5, 4CL-like). Expression profiling revealed that Ah4CL1, Ah4CL4, and Ah4CL5 were highly expressed in unexpanded leaves and were coordinately upregulated under Cu and Pb stress. Conversely, Ah4CL1 and Ah4CL2 were significantly induced by P. nicotianae infection.

Conclusions: The Ah4CL gene family exhibits functional diversification. Ah4CL1, Ah4CL4, and Ah4CL5 are primarily associated with leaf development and heavy metal tolerance, while Ah4CL1 and Ah4CL2 play a significant role in biotic defense. These findings provide a foundation for the genetic improvement of stress resilience in Agave.

Keywords: 4-coumarate:CoA ligase genes, Agave, gene expression, phylogeny, qPCR.

Received: December 7, 2025; Revised: August 13, 2026; Accepted: September 14, 2026; Published online: October 21, 2026  Show citation

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WANG, X., ZHANG, N., CHEN, L., WANG, B., Jing-Yi, L., Xiao-Li, H., & HUANG, X. (2026). Identification and expression patterns of 4-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase genes in Agave. Biologia plantarum, 70, Article 159-170. https://doi.org/10.32615/bp.2026.017
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