Genome-wide characterization of the PAO gene family reveals the positive role of BnaC.PAO1.a gene in freezing tolerance in Brassica napus L.

Rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) is a globally significant overwintering oilseed crop. Polyamine oxidase (PAO), an evolutionarily conserved family of FAD-binding proteins, plays crucial roles in plant growth, development, and response to abiotic stress. However, there is a scarcity of systematic identification and functional analysis of the PAO gene family in rapeseed. In this study, we identified 8, 7, 9, 16, 14 and 13 PAO genes in the genomes of B. rapa, B. nigra, B. oleracea, B. napus, B. juncea and B. carinata, respectively, which can be categorized into three subgroups: PAO1, PAO2/3/4, and PAO5. Molecular evolutionary analyses revealed a high conservation of PAO genes in Brassicaceae plants. RNA-seq and RT-qPCR analyses demonstrated the different expression patterns of different subgroups of BnaPAO genes in various tissues and under different treatments in rapeseed. Remarkably, among those PAO genes, only BnaPAO1 genes (BnaA.PAO1.a and BnaC.PAO1.a) were strongly induced by freezing stress. Further analysis confirmed that overexpression of BnaC.PAO1.a significantly improved the freezing tolerance of rapeseed by scavenging ROS. These findings provide a foundation for understanding the biological functions of PAO genes in response to freezing stress in rapeseed.