Identification, characterization of Apyrase (APY) gene family in rice (Oryza sativa) and analysis of the expression pattern under various stress conditions.

Apyrase (APY) is a nucleoside triphosphate (NTP) diphosphohydrolase (NTPDase) which is a member of the superfamily of guanosine diphosphatase 1 (GDA1)-cluster of differentiation 39 (CD39) nucleoside phosphatase. Under various circumstances like stress, cell growth, the extracellular adenosine triphosphate (eATP) level increases, causing a detrimental influence on cells such as cell growth retardation, ROS production, NO burst, and apoptosis. Apyrase hydrolyses eATP accumulated in the extracellular membrane during stress, wounds, into adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and adenosine monophosphate (AMP) and regulates the stress-responsive pathway in plants. This study was designed for the identification, characterization, and for analysis of APY gene expression in Oryza sativa. This investigation discovered nine APYs in rice, including both endo- and ecto-apyrase. According to duplication event analysis, in the evolution of OsAPYs, a significant role is performed by segmental duplication. Their role in stress control, hormonal responsiveness, and the development of cells is supported by the corresponding cis-elements present in their promoter regions. According to expression profiling by RNA-seq data, the genes were expressed in various tissues. Upon exposure to a variety of biotic as well as abiotic stimuli, including anoxia, drought, submergence, alkali, heat, dehydration, salt, and cold, they showed a differential expression pattern. The expression analysis from the RT-qPCR data also showed expression under various abiotic stress conditions, comprising cold, salinity, cadmium, drought, submergence, and especially heat stress. This finding will pave the way for future in-vivo analysis, unveil the molecular mechanisms of APY genes in stress response, and contribute to the development of stress-tolerant rice varieties.