Genome-wide identi fi cation and characterization of the growth-regulating factor gene family in oat ( Avena sativa L.) and functional analysis of AsGRF17 under drought stress

Evolutionary Analysis and Expression Profiling of the TIFY Gene Family in Banana Under Multiple Stresses and Functional Characterization of MaTIFY20 in Drought Tolerance

The TIFY gene family comprises plant-specific transcriptional regulators central to jasmonic acid (JA) signaling and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. Despite the economic importance of the banana (Musa spp.), the TIFY family remains largely uncharacterized in this crop. Here, we conducted a genome-wide identification and comprehensive analysis of the MaTIFY gene family in Musa acuminata. A total of 47 MaTIFY genes were identified, distributed across all 11 chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis classified these into four subfamilies (TIFY, ZIZ/ZML, PPD, and JAZ), and conserved motif and domain analyses revealed a core TIFY domain architecture with subfamily-specific structural features. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment and cis-acting regulatory element analyses suggested potential involvement in JA-mediated signaling, defense response, and hormone cross-talk. Expression profiling under drought, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense race 4 (Foc 4), and cold stress revealed distinct transcriptional responses, with MaTIFY5, MaTIFY16, MaTIFY20, MaTIFY26, and MaTIFY30 exhibiting enhanced induction in resistant cultivars compared to their susceptible counterparts. Functional characterization of MaTIFY20 confirmed its significant upregulation under drought stress and its ability to confer enhanced osmotic tolerance when heterologously expressed in yeast. These findings provide novel insights into the evolutionary dynamics and stress-responsive functions of banana TIFY genes and identify candidate targets for molecular breeding to improve abiotic and biotic stress resilience in banana.

Genome-wide identi fi cation and characterization of the ZmBED gene family in maize and its putative roles in drought adaptation via rhizosheath formation

Genome-Wide Identification of the Maize TALE Gene Family and Their Expression Analysis Under Low-Phosphorus Response in Maize (Zea mays L.)

The three-amino-acid-loop-extension (TALE) gene family encodes a group of plant-specific homeodomain transcription factors that play indispensable roles in plant growth, development, and adaptation to environmental stresses. Although TALE genes have been extensively investigated in several plant species, their genome-wide characteristics and potential functions in maize, particularly in response to phosphorus deficiency, remain poorly understood. In the present study, a comprehensive genome-wide identification and characterization of the maize TALE gene family were conducted using bioinformatics approaches, followed by an investigation of their transcriptional responses to low-phosphorus (LP) stress. A total of 40 ZmTALE genes (ZmTALE1–ZmTALE40) were identified and phylogenetically classified into four subfamilies: BEL1-like, KNOX I, KNOX II, and KNOX III. Members within the same subfamily exhibited highly conserved gene structures and motif compositions, reflecting their evolutionary conservation. Chromosomal localization and synteny analyses demonstrated that segmental duplication has been the predominant force driving the expansion of the ZmTALE gene family during maize evolution. Promoter analysis revealed that the upstream regulatory regions of ZmTALE genes were enriched in light-responsive, phytohormone-responsive, and abiotic stress-related cis-acting regulatory elements, implying their potential involvement in multiple developmental and stress-responsive pathways. Expression profiling under LP conditions revealed pronounced genotype-dependent transcriptional responses among different maize inbred lines. Notably, ZmTALE1/5/12/14/18/30/31/33/36 were significantly induced by LP stress, whereas ZmTALE10 and ZmTALE37 were markedly repressed. These differentially expressed genes represent promising candidates for further functional investigation of phosphorus-deficiency tolerance in maize. Furthermore, ZmTALE10, ZmTALE14, and ZmTALE31 are nuclear-localized transcriptional activators. Taken together, these findings provide valuable insights into the evolutionary characteristics and potential biological functions of the maize TALE gene family and offer candidate genes for developing phosphorus-efficient maize cultivars through molecular breeding.

Genome-wide characterization of the CIPK gene family in mung bean and functional validation of VrCIPK5 in drought stress response

The heterologous overexpression of VrCIPK5 in tobacco conferred enhanced drought tolerance by promoting proline accumulation, increasing antioxidant enzyme activities, accelerating stomatal closure, and upregulating downstream stress-responsive genes, thus alleviating reactive oxygen species overaccumulation and membrane lipid peroxidation.

Genome-wide analysis of the plant-specific PLATZ gene family in Taraxacum kok-saghyz and its roles in response to drought and salt tolerance.

It is demonstrated that heterologous expression of TksPLATZ1, TksPLATZ2 and TksPLATZ7 localize to the cell nucleus and act as transcriptional activators and repressors, respectively, which enhances the tolerance of Arabidopsis to salt and osmotic stress.

Genome-wide identification and comprehensive characterization of the Aux/IAA gene family in Cucurbita moschata and its responses analysis to abiotic stresses

Auxin is a central phytohormone involved in regulating plant growth, development, and stress responses, with the Aux/IAA gene family functioning as an essential component of the auxin signaling pathway. To elucidate the genomic features and potential functions of the Aux/IAA gene family in pumpkin ( Cucurbita moschata ), we performed a genome-wide identification and systematic characterization. A total of 72 CmIAA genes were identified, encoding proteins ranging from 158 to 1275 amino acids with predicted isoelectric points of 4.57–9.81. These genes were unevenly distributed across 20 chromosomes, with Chr17 harboring the highest number, while no CmIAA genes were detected on Chr3. Phylogenetic analysis classified the genes into nine subgroups (Groups Ⅰ–Ⅸ), with Groups Ⅰ, Ⅵ, and Ⅸ exhibiting relative expansion. Gene structure and conserved motif analyses revealed subgroup-specific motif compositions, with motif 1 representing the core conserved domain. Intraspecific collinearity analysis identified 54 segmentally duplicated gene pairs but no tandem duplication events, whereas interspecific synteny revealed extensive orthologous relationships between pumpkin and Cucurbita pepo and Cucurbita maxima . Promoter analysis showed that CmIAA genes contain multiple cis-elements associated with hormone responses and abiotic stress responses, including ABRE, MBS, and DRE. Tissue expression analysis demonstrated that many CmIAA genes exhibited tissue-preferential expression patterns. Under abiotic stress conditions, CmIAA 69 showed a salt-specific expression pattern, whereas CmIAA 39 and CmIAA 58 responded to both salt and drought treatments, indicating that these CmIAA genes play distinct roles in pumpkin responses to different abiotic stresses. This study systematically characterized the Aux/IAA gene family in pumpkin, highlighting its evolutionary diversity, structural conservation, and distinct regulatory features. These findings provide valuable genetic resources for further functional studies and inform the potential roles of CmIAA genes in abiotic stress responses.