The pea is an important cool-season pulse crop cultivated for animal and human consumption. However, the presence of “flatulence-causing factors” hinders its consumption and acceptance worldwide. The raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) have been identified as the principal “flatulence causing factors”. Hence, reducing RFO level is the major goal to promote pea consumption and acceptance worldwide. However, very little is known about the genes involved in RFO metabolism at the genome-wide scale in pea. In the present study, genes for five key enzymes (galactinol synthase, raffinose synthase, stachyose synthase, alpha-galactosidase_Acid/Alkaline and beta-fructofuranosidase) involved in RFO metabolism pathway were identified at the genome-wide scale in pea. A total of two galactinol synthase, two raffinose synthase, one stachyose synthase, six alpha-galactosidase_Alkaline and three alpha-galactosidase_Acid and ten beta-fructofuranosidase genes were identified in the pea genome. Phylogenetic relationships analysis, exon/intron structure as well as conserved domain within each enzyme family and their chromosomal location were also determined to establish their relationship with the known proteins. In silico anlaysis showed that pea RFO genes contain 26 microsatellite loci. Taken together, this study provides useful candidate genes for improving the nutritional quality of pea through genetic engineering approaches as well as microsatellite loci for the development of SSR markers for the introgression of low RFO trait through marker assisted selection.

豌豆是一种重要的冷季豆类作物，供动物和人类食用。然而，“胀气因素”的存在阻碍了其在世界范围内的消费和接受。棉子糖家族寡糖 (RFO) 已被确定为主要的“引起胀气的因素”。因此，降低RFO水平是促进全球豌豆消费和接受的主要目标。然而，人们对豌豆全基因组范围内参与 RFO 代谢的基因知之甚少。在本研究中，在豌豆的全基因组范围内鉴定了参与RFO代谢途径的五种关键酶（半乳糖醇合酶、棉子糖合酶、水苏糖合酶、α-半乳糖苷酶_酸/碱和β-呋喃果糖苷酶）的基因。在豌豆基因组中总共鉴定出两种半乳糖醇合酶、两种棉子糖合酶、一种水苏糖合酶、六种α-半乳糖苷酶_碱性和三种α-半乳糖苷酶_酸性以及十个β-呋喃果糖苷酶基因。还确定了系统发育关系分析、外显子/内含子结构以及每个酶家族内的保守结构域及其染色体位置，以建立它们与已知蛋白质的关系。计算机分析显示豌豆RFO基因含有26个微卫星位点。总而言之，本研究提供了有用的候选基因，用于通过基因工程方法改善豌豆的营养质量，以及微卫星位点，用于开发SSR标记，通过标记辅助选择导入低RFO性状。