Mlas: Machine Learning-Based Approach for Predicting Abiotic Stress-Responsive Genes in Chinese Cabbage

In the information society, challenges posed by climate change and population growth have rendered the development of crop varieties with enhanced abiotic stress tolerance and improved nutritional value a prime objective in agricultural advancement. Chinese cabbage, recognized for its significant economic benefits, not only supplements the human body with vitamin C and vitamin E but also plays a crucial role in preventing cardiovascular diseases. Nonetheless, its growth and development are adversely affected by various abiotic stresses, including waterlogging and temperature fluctuations. Consequently, the identification of abiotic stress-responsive genes (SRGs) in Chinese cabbage is of paramount importance for enhancing its resilience. While transcriptome analysis is a reliable approach for identifying stress-related genes, it is inherently species-specific and can be time-consuming. In this study, we proposed a computational model utilizing machine learning techniques to predict genes in Chinese cabbage that respond to four specific abiotic stresses: cold, heat, drought, and salt. To construct this model, we compiled data from relevant studies regarding the response to these abiotic stresses, and the protein sequences encoded by abiotic SRGs were converted into numerical representations for subsequent analysis. For the selected feature set, we employed six distinct machine learning binary classification algorithms. The results demonstrate that various models can effectively predict SRGs associated with the four types of abiotic stresses, with the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (auROC) for the models being 81.42%, 87.92%, 80.85%, and 88.87%, respectively. Furthermore, we have established an online prediction server, named MLAS (http://47.122.66.48:4433), designed to predict the response genes of Chinese cabbage under the aforementioned abiotic stresses. The computational model and the prediction tool developed in this study can serve as valuable resources for the identification of abiotic SRGs in Chinese cabbage.