Find in Library

Cysteine-rich receptor-like kinases (<i>CRKs</i>) are transmembrane proteins that bind to the calcium ion to regulate stress-signaling and plant development-related pathways, as indicated by several pieces of evidence. However, the <i>CRK</i> gene family hasn’t been inadequately examined in <i>Brassica napus</i>. In our study, 27 members of the <i>CRK</i> gene family were identified in <i>Brassica napus</i>, which are categorized into three phylogenetic groups and display synteny relationship to the <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> orthologs. All the <i>CRK</i> genes contain highly conserved N-terminal PKINASE domain; however, the distribution of motifs and gene structure were variable conserved. The functional divergence analysis between <i>BnaCRK</i> groups indicates a shift in evolutionary rate after duplication events, demonstrating that <i>BnaCRKs</i> might direct a specific function. RNA-Seq datasets and quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) exhibit the complex expression profile of the <i>BnaCRKs</i> in plant tissues under multiple stresses. Nevertheless, <i>BnaA06CRK6-1</i> and <i>BnaA08CRK8</i> from group B were perceived to play a predominant role in the <i>Brassica napus</i> stress signaling pathway in response to drought, salinity, and <i>Sclerotinia sclerotiorum</i> infection. Insights gained from this study improve our knowledge about the <i>Brassica napus CRK</i> gene family and provide a basis for enhancing the quality of rapeseed.