Identification of the histone acetyltransferase gene family in the Platycodon grandiflorus genome

Abstract Triterpenoid saponins, the bioactive principles of the traditional medicinal plant Platycodon grandiflorus , possess significant pharmaceutical potential. Their production is highly sensitive to the plant's growth conditions. Histone acetyltransferases (HATs) are characterized by the presence of acetyl groups, which influence mRNA transcription and consequently participate in plant adaptations to their surroundings. While extensive studies on HAT s have been conducted across various plant species, there remains a gap in the systematic identification of these enzymes within medicinal plants. In this research, we discovered seven PgHAT s and classified these genes into four distinct categories determined by their preserved protein structures. These findings implicated the HAT genes from A. thaliana , O. sativa , and P. grandiflorus in specific functional roles. The findings suggest that PgHAT has a well-preserved evolutionary lineage and contains highly variable regions, making it an excellent candidate for further investigation in the context of medicinal plant research. Moreover, motifs from the genome may correlate with the functionality of PgHATs. The cis-regulatory impact on these acetyltransferases modulates their role in specific gene functions, with downstream effects on phytohormone responsiveness, stress adaptation, and developmental growth. We conducted expression analyses to explore the potential functions of PgHATs under three different environmental stress conditions. Our findings highlighted a group of PgHATs that may significantly contribute to how plants respond to changing environmental factors.