Genome-Wide Characterization and Digital Expression Analysis of the TELOMERASE REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE (TERT) Gene in Arabidopsis thaliana

Telomeres progressively shorten with each cell division, and the cell undergoes replicative senescence. Telomerase, a complex enzyme, plays a key role in growth and development by maintains telomere length. TELOMERASE REVERSE TRANSCRIPTASE (TERT) encodes a protein that catalytic subunit telomerase. However, this gene have not yet been comprehensively analyzed in plants. In this study, a comprehensive in silico analysis and expression profile of TERT gene from Arabidopsis thaliana was conducted. According to phylogenetic analysis, all the 35 TERT gene divided into six groups based on the sequence similarity. High similarities were found in gene structure and conserved motifs of the genes within same group. The predicted cis-acting element analysis showed that the promoters of AtTERT contain the elements involved in growth and development, secondary metabolite pathways, stress and hormone response. Protein network analysis revealed that AtTERT interacts with proteins involved in growth and development, as well as telomere metabolism. Public Arabidopsis RNA-seq data indicated that AtTERT showed different expression patterns in different anatomical parts and during developmental stages. Altogether, these results extend our knowledge of the TERT gene in Arabidopsis and will be provide valuable findings for future study in different plant species.