Table 2_Genome-wide identification and analysis of the Universal Stress Protein (USP) family in pepper (Capsicum annuum L.).xls

These genes were distributed across all 12 chromosomes and phylogenetically classified into eight distinct subgroups. Collinearity analysis revealed evolutionary relationships between the USP families of pepper and Arabidopsis.

Cis-acting element analysis indicated that CaUSP gene promoters harbour multiple stress-, hormone-, and development-related motifs. Expression profiling showed that CaUSP19 is highly expressed in floral organs, with a marked increase during the late bud development stage, suggesting a potential role in reproductive development. Using virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), we demonstrated that knockdown of CaUSP19 significantly reduced pollen viability and germination.</p>Results and Discussion:<p>Collectively, this study provides a systematic genome-wide overview of the pepper CaUSP family and reveals a novel role for CaUSP19 in regulating pollen viability, thereby laying a foundation for further investigation of USP functions in plant reproduction.</p>