LAUSR

This work presents a robust analysis of the inositols (INSs) and raffinose family oligosaccharide (RFOs) pathways, using genomic and transcriptomic tools in cowpea under root dehydration. Nineteen (~ 70%) of the 26 scrutinized enzymes presented transcriptional up-regulation in at least one treatment time. The transcriptional orchestration allowed categorization of the analyzed enzymes as time-independent (those showing the same regulation throughout the assay) and time-dependent (those showing different transcriptional regulation over time). It is suggested that up-regulated time-independent enzymes (INSs: MIOX, ITPK2, PIP5K, PIKfyve, PI-PLC, and PC-PLC; RFOs: α-GAL, INV, and RS) actively participate in the reorganization of cowpea molecular physiology under the applied stress. In turn, time-dependent enzymes, especially those up-regulated in some of the treatment times (INSs: IPPK, PI4K, PIS, MINPP1, MMSDH, TPI, MIPS, PTEN, and PI3K; RFOs: GOLS) seem to participate in fine-tuning of the molecular physiology, helping the cowpea plants to acclimatize under dehydration stress. Not all loci encoding the studied enzymes were expressed during the assay; most of the expressed ones exhibited a variable transcriptional profile in the different treatment times. Genes of the INSs and RFOs pathways showed high orthology with analyzed Phaseoleae members, suggesting a relevant role within this legume group. Regarding the promoter regions of INSs and RFOs genes, some bona fide cis-regulatory elements were identified in association with seven transcription factor families (AP2-EFR, Dof-type, MADS-box, bZIP, CPP, ZF-HD, and GATA-type). Members of INSs and RFOs pathways potentially participate in other processes regulated by these proteins in cowpea.