Genome-Wide Identification of ARF Gene Family Suggests a Functional Expression Pattern during Fruitlet Abscission in L.

Auxin response factors (ARFs) play a vital role in plant growth and development. In the current study, 16 ARF members have been identified in the sweet cherry ( L.) genome. These genes are all located in the nucleus. Sequence analysis showed that genes in the same subgroup have similar exon-intron structures. A phylogenetic tree has been divided into five groups. The promoter sequence includes six kinds of plant hormone-related elements, as well as abiotic stress response elements such as low temperature or drought. The expression patterns of in different tissues, fruitlet abscission, cold and drought treatment were comprehensively analyzed. was up-regulated and was down-regulated in fruitlet abscising. These genes may be involved in the regulation of fruit drop in sweet cherry fruits. This study comprehensively analyzed the bioinformatics and expression pattern of , which can lay the foundation for further understanding the family in plant growth development and fruit abscission.