Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the GT8 gene family in tomato(Solanum lycopersicum) and the functional of SlGolS1 under cold stress

• In this study, 40 SlGT8 genes were identified using bioinformatics. • The SlGT8 gene is able to respond to cold resistance, in which the SlGolS1 protein is subcellularly located on chloroplasts, and oxidative damage is more severe in tomato by silencing SlGolS1 . • SlGolS1 positively regulates cold resistance in tomato. Glycosyltransferases (GTs) are a diverse superfamily of enzymes involved in glycosylation reactions, with the GT8 (glycosyltransferase 8) playing a crucial role in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses. Tomato, widely cultivated and is a thermophilic plant. So it is significant to study how GT8 regulates cold resistance in tomato for plant growth. In this study, we screened the whole genome of tomato by using bioinformatics methods and identified 40 members of the GT8 gene family. Analysis of cold stress transcriptome data and qRT-PCR experiments revealed the potential significance of SlGolS1 in responding to cold stress. SlGolS1 was highly expressed in the stems and flowers of tomato, with its mature protein localized in the chloroplast. Used the VIGS method to transiently silence the SlGolS1 gene, the SlGolS1 -silenced plants (pTRV2- SlGolS1 ) rendered tomato more sensitive to cold stress compared with the control (pTRV2) tomato plant phenotype after cold treatment; enzyme activity assays showed that oxidative damage was more severe in the pTRV2- SlGolS1 . In summary, SlGolS1 positively regulates cold resistance in tomato.