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Acta Horticulturae Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 53 ›› Issue (7): 2053-2074.doi: 10.16420/j.issn.0513-353x.2026-0341

• Genetic & Breeding · Germplasm Resources · Molecular Biology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Genome-Wide Identification of the HSP20 Gene Family in Strawberry and its Functional Analysis in Fruit Response to High-Temperature Stress and Ripening Regulation

ZHAO Yanxia1, SUN Jiabo1, Wu Yiqing1,2, LI Qian2, LIANG Hongmin1, LI Bingbing2,*()   

  1. 1 Institute of Leisure AgricultureShandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences;Key Laboratory of East China Urban Agriculture,Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs;Shandong Engineering Research Center of Ecological Horticultural Plant Breeding, Ji’nan 250100, China
    2 College of HorticultureChina Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
  • Received:2026-04-13 Revised:2026-06-22 Online:2026-07-25 Published:2026-07-23
  • Contact: LI Bingbing

Abstract:

Small heat shock protein 20(HSP20)are pivotal regulators involved in plant high-temperature stress response as well as growth and development. To dissect the high-temperature response mechanism of the strawberry HSP20 gene family and its regulatory function in fruit ripening,diploid woodland strawberry(Fragaria vesca)was used as material in this study. A genome-wide identification of the FvHSP20 gene family was carried out using bioinformatics methods,and the gene structure,phylogeny,chromosomal localization,and cis-acting elements were systematically analyzed. Furthermore,combined with transcriptome and qRT-PCR technologies,the expression patterns of this family at different fruit developmental stages and under high-temperature stress in both woodland strawberry and cultivated strawberry(Fragaria × ananassa)were resolved,and the biological function of key gene was further validated in cultivated strawberry. The results showed that a total of 33 FvHSP20 genes were identified from the F. vesca genome. The encoded HSP20 proteins contained 78 to 399 amino acids with stable physicochemical properties,and were targeted to cytoplasm,chloroplasts,mitochondria and other organelles,exhibiting obvious subcellular compartmentalization. Phylogenetic analysis categorized these genes into 13 subfamilies,among which a novel clade designated CXⅡ subfamily was newly classified in this study. Notably,strawberry HSP20 family lacked endoplasmic reticulum subfamily members,reflecting unique evolutionary characteristics of this species. The 33 FvHSP20 genes were unevenly mapped onto seven strawberry chromosomes,most family members possessed compact gene structures with zero or one intron. Promoter sequence of various genes analysis revealed numerous stress-responsive and hormone-responsive cis-elements,among which light-responsive,abscisic acid(ABA)-responsive and methyl jasmonate(MeJA)-responsive elements were the most abundant. Transcriptomic results indicated that both FvHSP20 and FaHSP20 genes displayed fruit developmental stage-specific expression patterns. Fruits at the white stage were most susceptible to high-temperature stress,and core genes including HSP20-13HSP20-14 and HSP20-20 were significantly upregulated upon heat treatment. Distinct transcriptional responses to heat stress were detected between two cultivated strawberry cultivars:the heat-tolerant cultivar‘Kaorino’exhibited milder and more stable gene expression fluctuations. Transient overexpression assays verified that FaHSP20-13 accelerated fruit coloration,enhanced sugar enrichment under normal temperature conditions. Furthermore,FaHSP20-13 maintained ABA signaling homeostasis to relieve heat-induced growth inhibition in strawberry fruits,performing dual functions in promoting maturation and heat resistance. In this study,the basic characteristics and high-temperature response patterns of the strawberry HSP20 family were clarified,and key candidate genes for heat tolerance and ripening regulation were identified,which provided theoretical basis and genetic resources for molecular breeding of heat tolerance and high-quality improvement in strawberry.

Key words: strawberry, HSP20, genome-wide identification, high-temperature stress, fruit ripening regulation