The Genome-Level Survey of the WOX Gene Family in <i>Melastoma dodecandrum</i> Lour.

oleh: Ruiyue Zheng, Yukun Peng, Jiemin Chen, Xuanyi Zhu, Kai Xie, Sagheer Ahmad, Kai Zhao, Donghui Peng, Zhong-Jian Liu, Yuzhen Zhou

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2023-12-01

Deskripsi

Though conserved in higher plants, the WOX transcription factors play crucial roles in plant growth and development of <i>Melastoma dodecandrum</i> Lour., which shows pioneer position in land ecosystem formation and produces nutritional fruits. Identifying the <i>WOX</i> family genes in <i>M. dodecandrum</i> is imperative for elucidating its growth and development mechanisms. However, the <i>WOX</i> genes in <i>M. dodecandrum</i> have not yet been characterized. In this study, by identification 22 <i>WOX</i> genes in <i>M. dodecandrum</i> based on current genome data, we classified family genes into three clades and nine types with homeodomains. We highlighted gene duplications of <i>MedWOX4</i>, which offered evidences of whole-genome duplication events. Promoter analysis illustrated that cis-regulatory elements related to light and stress responses and plant growth were enriched. Expression pattern and RT-qPCR results demonstrated that the majority of <i>WOX</i> genes exhibited expression in the stem. <i>MedWOX13s</i> displayed highest expression across various tissues. <i>MedWOX4s</i> displayed a specific expression in the stem. Collectively, our study provided foundations for elucidating <i>WOX</i> gene functions and further molecular design breeding in <i>M. dodecandrum</i>.