Comprehensive Bioinformatics and Expression Analysis of the TLP Gene Family Revealed Its Role in Regulating the Response of Oryza sativa to Nilaparvata lugens, Laodelphax striatellus, and Jinggangmycin

Thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs), which belong to pathogenesis-related (PR) protein family 5 (PR5), are involved in the plant host defense and developmental processes. Detailed information regarding the TLP gene family in rice remains elusive. Here, we identified 43 OsTLP genes from the rice genome database. The in silico analysis comprised of the evolutionary tree, gene structure, conserved motifs, and chemical properties highlighted the key aspects of the OsTLP genes. By phylogenetic analysis, the OsTLP genes were classified into ten groups (OsTLPI-OsTLPX). Gene ontology (GO) analysis showed that OsTLP genes regulate plant growth and response to various environmental stimuli. Moreover, most of the OsTLP genes are expressed in almost all tissues. Microarray data showed differential expression trends of OsTLP genes under salinity stress and hormonal treatments, whereas under BPH, SSB, and RFL, only OsTLP1, OsTLP2 and OsTLP27 were expressed. The qRT-PCR analysis showed OsTLP27 as the prominent gene, displayed by its upregulated expression under JGM. Our results provide detailed knowledge of OsTLP gene resistance in rice plants, and we believe the current study will facilitate the development of cultivars resistant to biotic/abiotic stress, particularly stress caused by the chewing and sucking of insect pests.