초록
<P><B>Abstract</B>Background<P>Starch hydrolysates are energy sources for plant growth and development, regulate osmotic pressure and transmit signals in response to both biological and abiotic stresses. The α-amylase (AMY) and the β-amylase (BAM) are important enzymes that catalyze the hydrolysis of plant starch. Cassava (<I>Manihot esculenta</I> Crantz) is treated as one of the most drought-tolerant crops. However, the mechanisms of how AMY and BAM respond to drought in cassava are still unknown.</P>Results<P>Six <I>MeAMY</I> genes and ten <I>MeBAM</I> genes were identified and characterized in the cassava genome. Both <I>MeAMY</I> and <I>MeBAM</I> gene families contain four genes with alternative splicing. Tandem and fragment replications play important roles in the amplification of <I>MeAMY</I> and <I>MeBAM</I> genes. Both MeBAM5 and MeBAM10 have a BZR1/BES1 domain at the N-terminus, which may have transcription factor functions. The promoter regions of <I>MeAMY</I> and <I>MeBAM</I> genes contain a large number of cis-acting elements related to abiotic stress. <I>MeAMY1</I>, <I>MeAMY2</I>, <I>MeAMY5</I>, and <I>MeBAM3</I> are proven as critical genes in response to drought stress according to their expression patterns under drought. The starch content, soluble sugar content, and amylase activity were significantly altered in cassava under different levels of drought stress.</P>Conclusions<P>These results provide fundamental knowledge for not only further exploring the starch metabolism functions of cassava under drought stress but also offering new perspectives for understanding the mechanism of how cassava survives and develops under drought.</P></P>