Genome-Wide Organization and Expression Profiling of the SBP-Box Gene Family in Chinese Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.).

Transcription factors play vital roles in the developmental processes of plants. The SQUAMOSA promoter binding protein (SBP) genes encode a family of plant-specific transcription factors and plays many crucial roles in plant development. In this study, 16 SBP-box gene family members were identified in Mill. Dongzao (Dongzao), which were distributed over 8 chromosomes. They were classified into seven groups according to their phylogenetic relationships with other SBP-box gene families. Within each group, genes shared similar exon-intron structures and motif locations. The number of exons varied among the groups. We identified 12 homologous gene pairs between Dongzao and . Expression profiling revealed that and expressed highly in mature fruits, expressed higher in mature leaves than other tissues and the expression level of was much higher in the flowers. The transcriptome analysis indicated that ZjSBPs had different expression patterns in various tissues. This study represents the first systematic analysis of the SBP-box gene family in . The data presented here provides a foundation for understanding the crucial roles of genes in plant growth and development.