Genome-Wide Identification and Classification of the AP2/EREBP Gene Family in the Cucurbitaceae Species

Abstract

This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. ABSTRACT AP2/EREBP gene family consists of transcription factor genes with a conserved AP2 DNA-binding domain and is involved in various biological processes. AP2/EREBP gene families were identified through genome-wide searches in five Cucurbitaceae species including cucumber, wild cucumber, melon, watermelon, and bitter gourd, which consisted of more than 100 genes in each of the five species. The gene families were further divided into five groups including four subfamilies (ERF, DREB, AP2 and RAV) and a soloist group. Among the subfamilies, DREB subfamily which is known to be related to abiotic stress response was more analyzed and a total of 25 genes were identified as Cucurbitaceae homologues of Arabidopsis CBF/DREB1 genes which are important for abiotic stress-response and tolerance. In silico expression profiling using RNA-Seq data revealed diverse expression patterns of cucumber AP2/EREBP genes. AP2/EREBP gene families identified in this study will be valuable for understanding the stress response mechanism as well as facilitating molecular breeding in Cucurbitaceae crops.

Systematic analysis of the Capsicum ERF transcription factor family: identification of regulatory factors involved in the regulation of species-specific metabolites

“…The AP2/ERF superfamily is one of the largest TF families in the plant kingdom, and it has been successfully identified and investigated in many plant species of sequenced genomes [ 35 – 37 ]. Although the AP2/ERF superfamily in peppers was reported by Jin et al [ 38 ], they indicated that CaAP2/ERFs might be involved in the response to P. capsici in peppers.…”

Comprehensive Transcriptome Profiling and Identification of Potential Genes Responsible for Salt Tolerance in Tall Fescue Leaves under Salinity Stress

“…The transcriptome data has also enabled genome-wide studies of individual salt responsive genes as well as their functions. For example, Kumar et al [ 21 ] reported that the ectopic expression of OsSta2 gene in rice enhanced salt tolerance, while AP2/EREBP and dehydrin genes have been characterized in Cucurbitaceae species [ 22 , 23 ]. Also, the transcriptome of plants growing under other abiotic stresses such as cold [ 24 , 25 ], drought [ 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 ], and heat [ 30 ] have been reported.…”

Systematic analysis of the Capsicum ERF transcription factor family: identification of regulatory factors involved in the regulation of species-specific metabolites

“…The AP2/ERF superfamily is one of the largest TF families in the plant kingdom, and it has been successfully identi ed and investigated in many plant species of sequenced genomes [47][48][49]. Although the AP2/ERF superfamily in peppers was reported by Jin et al [50], they indicated that CaAP2/ERFs might be involved in the response to P. capsici in peppers.…”