Genome-wide identification and comparative analysis of family in rapeseed and its diploid progenitors.

Crop genomics and breeding CLAVATA3/EMBRYO SURROUNDING REGION-RELATED (CLE) proteins belong to a small peptide family in plants. During plant development, gene family members play a pivotal role in regulating cell-to-cell communication and stem cell maintenance. However, the evolutionary process and functional importance of s are unclear in Brassicaceae. In this study, a total of 70 s were identified in (2n = 4x = 38, AC): 32 from the A subgenome, 36 from the C subgenome, and 2 from the unanchored subgenome. Meanwhile, 29 and 32 genes were explored in (2n = 2x = 20, A) and (2n = 2x = 18, C). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that 163 s derived from three species and can be divided into seven subfamilies. Homology and synteny analyses indicated whole-genome triplication (WGT) and segmental duplication may be the major contributors to the expansion of family. In addition, RNA-seq and qPCR analysis indicated that 19 and 16 s were more highly expressed in immature seeds and roots than in other tissues. Some gene pairs exhibited different expression patterns in the same tissue, which indicated possible functional divergence. Furthermore, genetic variations and regional association mapping analysis indicated that 12 s were potential genes for regulating important agronomic traits. This study provided valuable information to understand the molecular evolution and biological function of s in and its diploid progenitors, which will be helpful for genetic improvement of high-yield breeding in .