Genome-Wide Characterization of Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Genes and Their Expression Profile under Drought Stress in Quercus rubra

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is crucial in plant metabolism and responses to various abiotic stresses. In the glycolysis pathway, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P) is oxidized to 1,3-bisphosphate glycerate (1,3-BPG) through the catalytic action of GAPDH. However, the <i>GAPDH</i> gene family in <i>Quercus rubra</i> has been minimally researched. In this study, we identified 13 GAPDH-encoding genes in <i>Q. rubra</i> through a bioinformatics analysis of genomic data. Evolutionary studies suggest that these <i>QrGAPDH</i> genes are closely related to those in <i>Glycine max</i> and <i>Triticum aestivum</i>. We conducted a comprehensive whole-genome study, which included predictions of subcellular localization, gene structure analysis, protein motif identification, chromosomal placement, and analysis of <i>cis</i>-acting regions. We also examined the expression of GAPDH proteins and genes in various tissues of <i>Q. rubra</i> and under drought stress. The results indicated diverse expression patterns across different tissues and differential expression under drought conditions. Notably, the expression of Qurub.02G290300.1, Qurub.10G209800.1, and Qrub.M241600.1 significantly increased in the leaf, stem, and root tissues under drought stress. This study provides a systematic analysis of <i>QrGAPDH</i> genes, suggesting their pivotal roles in the drought stress response of trees.