BAHD superfamily acyltransferases play an important role in catalyzing and regulating secondary metabolism in plants. Despite this, there is relatively little information regarding the BAHD superfamily in barley. In this study, we identified 116 HvBAHD acyltransferases from the barley genome. Based on phylogenetic analysis and classification in model monocotyledonous and dicotyledonous plants, we divided the genes into eight groups, I-a, I-b, II, III-a, III-b, IV, V-a and V-b. The Clade IV genes, including Agmatine Coumarol Transferase (ACT) that is associated with resistance of plants to Gibberella fungi, were absent in Arabidopsis. Cis-regulatory element analysis of the HvBAHDs showed that the genes respond positively to GA3 treatment. In-silico expression and qPCR analysis showed the HvBAHD genes are expressed in a range of tissues and developmental stages, and highly enriched in the seedling stage, consistent with diverse roles. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) scanning analysis revealed that the natural variation in the coding regions of the HvBAHDs is low and the sequences have been conserved during barley domestication. Our results reveal the complexity of the HvBAHDs and will help facilitate their analysis in further studies.

The invariant chain (Ii) plays a critical role in MHC class II-associated chaperone representing antigen peptide and receptor. In this study, we cloned goose Ii cDNA by 5' and 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends and tested its mRNA expression in the different tissues by fluorescent quantitative PCR. Two Ii isoforms, GIi-1and GIi-2, were 1,204 and 1,393 bp in length, respectively, and were found in all tested tissues. The expression of GIi in all tested tissues of 2-mo-old geese was higher than in that of embryos and in immune tissues was higher than in other tissues. The comparison of Ii sequences among pigeon, zebra finch, duck, chicken, quail, mouse, human, Pan troglodytes, and Salmo salar in the phylogenetic tree showed that they were classified into 5 lineages. Ii contains 5 functional domains. Further comparison between full-length Ii and each of the 5 domains of 6 species indicated a distinct difference. In 3-dimensional structures some amino acid residues located at critical sites in Ii structural region were identical or similar, which suggests that these residues were important in maintaining Ii essential secondary structures such as β-turn.

Kinesin, as a member of the molecular motor protein superfamily, plays an essential function in various plants’ developmental processes. Especially at the early stages of plant growth, including influences on plants’ growth rate, yield, and quality. In this study, we did a genome-wide identification and expression profile analysis of the kinesin family in barley. Forty-two HvKINs were identified and screened from the barley genome, and a generated phylogenetic tree was used to compare the evolutionary relationships between Rice and Arabidopsis. The protein structure prediction, physicochemical properties, and bioinformatics of the HvKINs were also dissected. Our results reveal the important regulatory roles of HvKIN genes in barley growth. We found many cis- elements related to GA3 and ABA in homeopathic elements of the HvKIN gene and verified them by QRT-PCR, indicating their potential role in the barley kinesin family. The current study revealed the biological functions of barley kinesin genes in barley and will aid in further investigating the kinesin in other plant species.