Bioinformatics Analysis of the Fruit-Weight like Gene Family and Identification the Role of OsFWL8 in Arsenic Tolerance in Oryza sativa L.

The Fruit-Weight like (FWL) family of plants is ubiquitous in different species, and some members of this family have been shown to play an indispensable role in regulating plant growth, development, and response to heavy metal stress. This study comprehensively identifies and characterizes the FWL gene family in Oryza sativa, underscoring its significant role in arsenic stress response and metal ion homeostasis. Through bioinformatics analysis, eight FWL genes were identified and grouped into two subfamilies based on phylogenetic tree. These genes were further analyzed for conserved motifs, gene structures, and cis-acting elements, revealing their potential involvement in abiotic stress responses, hormone signaling, and developmental processes. Particularly, the study focused on OsFWL8, analyzing its expression patterns and response to arsenic stress. Real-time PCR demonstrated that OsFWL8 expression is highly induced in arsenic-exposed rice, suggesting a role in arsenic stress response. In addition, our study highlighted that overexpression of OsFWL8 enhances arsenic sensitivity, whereas knockout mutants showed increased tolerance. These findings suggested that the FWL gene family, especially OsFWL8, plays a crucial role in arsenic stress response in rice, providing insights that could lead to the development of rice varieties with enhanced yield and metal stress tolerance.