A Comprehensive Identification and Expression Analysis of VQ Motif-Containing Proteins in Sugarcane ( L.) under Phytohormone Treatment and Cold Stress.

The VQ motif-containing proteins play a vital role in various processes such as growth, resistance to biotic and abiotic stresses and development. However, there is currently no report on the genes in sugarcane ( spp.). Herein, 78 genes in were identified and classified into nine subgroups (I-IX) by comparative genomic analyses. Each subgroup had a similar structural and conservative motif. These genes expanded mainly through whole-genome segmental duplication. The cis-regulatory elements (CREs) of the genes were widely involved in stress responses, phytohormone responses and physiological regulation. The RNA-seq data showed that gene expression patterns in 10 different samples, including different developmental stages, revealed distinct temporal and spatial patterns. A total of 23 genes were expressed in all tissues, whereas 13 genes were not expressed in any tissues. Sequence Read Archive (SRA) data showed that the majority of responded to cold and drought stress. In addition, quantitative real-time PCR analysis showed that the were variously expressed under salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), abscisic acid (ABA) and cold treatment. This study conducted a full-scale analysis of the gene family in sugarcane, which could be beneficial for the functional characterization of sugarcane genes and provide candidate genes for molecular resistance breeding in cultivated sugarcane in the future.