Genome-wide analysis of the class III peroxidase gene family in sesame and SiPRXs gene validation by expression analysis under drought stress

Sesame (Sesamum indicum) is an important indigenous oilseed crop but its growth and productivity are severely affected by abiotic stresses. Class III peroxidases are key stress related enzymes that exclusively occur in plant kingdom, however, their specific involvement in sesame remains largely unexplored. The present study aimed to identify the PRX gene family in sesame and elucidate their role in conferring drought stress tolerance in contrasting sesame accessions. Through genome-wide analysis of the PRX gene family, 45 non-redundant members (designated SiPRXs) were identified which were unequally distributed on 13 sesame chromosomes. Motif analysis revealed highly conserved peroxidase domains in all SiPRX proteins. To validate the function of identified SiPRX family members, sesame accessions were phenotyped under drought stress and irrigated conditions. The contrasting drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive accessions were used to study the relative transcript abundance of the selected 15 SiPRX genes by quantitative real-time PCR.Expression analysis revealed differential expression of SiPRX genes between drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive accessions, which was consistent with their physiological responses to drought stress. Our findings provide comprehensive insights into the genomic characterization of the SiPRX gene family in sesame with special reference to drought stress tolerance. These results emphasize the potential utility of SiPRX genes in enhancing drought resilience in sesame with implications for crop improvement strategies.