Functional Characterization of Plant Peptide-Containing Sulfated Tyrosine (PSY) Family in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

The plant peptide-containing sulfated tyrosine (PSY) family plays critical roles in plant cell proliferation and stress responses. However, the functional characterization of the PSY peptide family in wheat remains unclear. This study systematically identified a total of 29 <i>TaPSY</i> genes at the genome-wide level, classifying them into six subgroups based on PSY-like motifs. These peptides contain a highly conserved active peptide domain, closely resembling the <i>Arabidopsis</i> AtPSY1 motif. All TaPSY homologs are predicted to have a sulfated tyrosine catalyzed by plant tyrosylprotein sulfotransferase (TPST). The <i>TaPSY</i> genes displayed distinct expression patterns across various tissues, with most genes showing higher expression levels in roots and stems. Synthetic sulfated TaPSY peptides enhanced root growth in both wild-type <i>Arabidopsis</i> and the <i>tpst-1</i> mutant plants. In wheat, exogenous application of TaPSY peptides also promoted root growth, with the synthetic TaPSY5 peptide affecting reactive oxygen species levels in wheat taproots to stimulate primary root growth. Furthermore, transgenic <i>Arabidopsis</i> plants overexpressing <i>TaPSY10</i> exhibited longer primary roots and increased lateral root numbers. These findings provide insights into the physiological roles of TaPSY peptides in regulating wheat root growth.