@ARTICLE{Chosyang2026-nm,
  title     = "Comparative analysis of the Aquaporin gene family in
               Cucurbitaceae: insights into evolutionary patterns and
               functional diversity",
  author    = "Chosyang, Stanzin and Arya, Preeti and Kaur, Manpreet and Singh,
               Balvinder",
  abstract  = "Aquaporins (AQPs) are important for regulating water and solute
               transport in plants, particularly under stress conditions. While
               AQP gene families have been reported in a few Cucurbitaceae
               species (Watermelon, Cucumber, Melon, and Bottle gourd), a
               comprehensive analysis across multiple Cucurbitaceae species is
               lacking. Our study identified and characterised 528 putative
               AQP-encoding genes across fourteen Cucurbitaceae using BLASTp
               and HMM searches. These are grouped into five subfamilies- PIPs
               (212), TIPs (118), NIPs (146), SIPs (39), and XIPs (13), based
               on phylogenetic analysis. Further, conserved gene structures and
               motifs support this subfamily-specific evolutionary
               relationship. Whole-genome duplication (WGD) and transposed
               duplication (TRD) were the primary drivers of AQP expansion,
               with WGD common in Cucurbiteae and Sicyoeae tribes, while TRD in
               Benincaseae. Correlation between genome size and AQP abundance
               revealed a positive trend in Cucurbiteae and negative trends in
               Sicyoeae \& Benincaseae tribes. Functional analysis predicted
               the transport of urea, boric acid, H2O2, CO2, and ammonia by
               AQPs in addition to water. Promoter analysis identified
               abiotic/biotic stress-related cis-regulatory elements, with ARE
               and WUN-motifs predominant. This study provided novel insights
               into the evolution and role of AQPs in Cucurbitaceae, providing
               a valuable foundation for future research on stress adaptation.",
  journal   = "BMC Plant Biol.",
  publisher = "Springer Science and Business Media LLC",
  volume    =  26,
  number    =  1,
  pages     = "297",
  month     =  jan,
  year      =  2026,
  keywords  = "Abiotic/biotic stresses; Aquaporins; Comparative genomics;
               Cucurbitaceae; Evolutionary dynamics; Functional analysis;
               Genome-wide analysis",
  copyright = "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0",
  language  = "en"
}