Genome-wide identification, evolution and expression analysis of the FtsH gene during fruit development in pear (Pyrus bretschneideri)

Filtration temperature-sensitive H (FtsH) is an ATP-dependent protease family that plays important roles in many aspects of cellular processes and environmental adaption. However, little information is available about the FtsH genes in pear (Pyrus bretschneideri). In this study, 19 PbrFtsH genes were identified and classified into eight groups with several subgroups. The FtsH genes in pear show high sequence and structural conservation in the coding regions, and the majority of the FtsH members were located on the chromosome 3 (three members), chromosome 9 (four members), and chromosome 15 (three members). The WGD/segmenta, dispersed duplication played a major driving force in pear FtsH evolution. A Synteny analysis provided deep insight into the evolutionary relationships of PbrFtsH genes. The subcellular localization of the PbrFtsH genes showed them in the mitochondrion or chloroplast. Expression profiles derived from transcriptome data and RT-qPCR analysis revealed distinct expression patterns of PbrFtsH genes in different fruit developmental stages. These results provided valuable information that extends our understanding of the function, evolution and expression profile of the FtsH family during fruit development in pear, and a foundation for the further functional characterization of PbrFtsH genes, which can be applied to pear crop improvement.