Find in Library

The Cucurbitaceae family comprises economically valuable vegetables such as cucumber, melon, and pumpkin. GRAS proteins, which are crucial transcription factors, play diverse roles in plant growth and development. However, comparative investigations of GRAS proteins across Cucurbitaceae species are limited. Here, we identified 241 GRAS family genes in six cucurbit crops. The number of <i>GRAS</i> genes in cucumber, melon, wax gourd, watermelon, and bottle gourd ranged from 36 to 37, while the pumpkin genome contained 57 <i>GRAS</i> genes, possibly due to a recent whole-genome duplication. We classified cucurbit <i>GRAS</i> genes into 16 subfamilies and identified species-specific motifs and specific-expression patterns in the SCLB and RAD1 subfamilies. Notably, we identified 38 tissue-specific expressed genes, particularly fruit-specific genes potentially involved in fruit development. Additionally, we predicted the role of <i>GRAS</i> genes in regulating hypocotyl elongation under weak or dark light conditions in cucurbit plants. These findings enhance our understanding of the characteristics, evolution, and potential functions of <i>GRAS</i> genes in six cucurbit crops, providing valuable resources for genetic research in the Cucurbitaceae family as well as important agronomic traits.