Genome-wide identification of the transcription factor family in pear () reveals evolution and functional divergence.

transcription factors play significant roles in plant developmental processes such as floral organ conformation, flowering time, and fruit development. Pear (), as the third-most crucial temperate fruit crop, has been fully sequenced. However, there is limited information about the family and its functional divergence in pear. In this study, a total of 95 genes were identified in the pear genome, and classified into two types by phylogenetic analysis. Type I genes were divided into three subfamilies and type II genes into 14 subfamilies. Synteny analysis suggested that whole-genome duplications have played key roles in the expansion of the family, followed by rearrangement events. Purifying selection was the primary force driving gene evolution in pear, and one gene pairs presented three codon sites under positive selection. Full-scale expression information for genes in vegetative and reproductive organs was provided and proved by transcriptional and reverse transcription PCR analysis. Furthermore, the gene, together with partners and was confirmed to activate the promoters of the structural genes in anthocyanin pathway of red pear through dual luciferase assay. In addition, the and were deduced involving in the regulation of anthocyanin synthesis response to light and temperature changes. These results provide a solid foundation for future functional analysis of genes in different biological processes, especially of pigmentation in pear.