Systematic Analysis and Identification of Drought-Responsive Genes of the Gene Family in Wheat ( L.).

The calmodulin-binding transcription activator (CAMTA) is a Ca/CaM-mediated transcription factor (TF) that modulates plant stress responses and development. Although the investigations of CAMTAs in various organisms revealed a broad range of functions from sensory mechanisms to physiological activities in crops, little is known about the CAMTA family in wheat ( L.). Here, we systematically analyzed phylogeny, gene expansion, conserved motifs, gene structure, -elements, chromosomal localization, and expression patterns of genes in wheat. We described and confirmed, via molecular evolution and functional verification analyses, two new members of the family, and . In addition, we determined that the expression of most genes responded to several abiotic stresses (drought, salt, heat, and cold) and ABA during the seedling stage, but it was mainly induced by drought stress. Our study provides considerable information about the changes in gene expression in wheat under stress, notably that drought stress-related gene expression in transgenic lines was significantly upregulated under drought stress. In addition to providing a comprehensive view of genes in wheat, our results indicate that has a potential role in the drought stress response induced by a water deficit at the seedling stage.