Genome-Wide Identification of the PsatGSTs Gene Family and Expression Analysis Under Low Temperature Stress in Pea (Pisum sativum L.)

Glutathione S-transferases (GSTs) plays pivotal roles in plant growth, abiotic stress responses, detoxification of xenobiotics, and maintenance of redox homeostasis. In this study, transcriptomic analysis was employed to identify differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in pea of DX27 under low temperature stress(-4°C) at 3, 6, and 12 h. GO and KEGG enrichment analyses of global transcriptomic data further revealed that DEGs were significantly enriched in oxidation-reduction processes, stress responses, glutathione metabolism, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis—functional categories. A total of 52 PsatGST genes were identified and classified into nine subfamilies based on phylogenetic relationships. Chromosomal localization revealed a non-random distribution across seven chromosomes. Promoter cis-element analysis indicated that PsatGST genes harbor diverse regulatory elements associated with light responsiveness, hormone signaling (auxin, abscisic acid, gibberellin, salicylic acid, and MeJA), and abiotic/biotic stress responses (low-temperature, wounding, and anaerobic induction). PsatGSTU18 and PsatGSTF2 expression analysis showing pronounced up-regulation at 12 h under low temperature stress (-4°C) at 3, 6, and 12 h. These findings provide a foundational framework for understanding the evolutionary history and functional diversification of the PsatGSTs gene family and offer valuable candidate genes for breeding stress-tolerant pea varieties.