Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of the GRF Gene Family in .

Growth-regulating factor (GRF) is a kind of transcription factor unique to plants, playing an important role in the flowering regulation, growth, and development of plants. is an important member of Melastomataceae, with ornamental, medicinal, and edible benefits. The identification of the GRF gene family in can help to improve their character of flavor and continuous flowering. The members of the GRF gene family were identified from the genome, and their bioinformatics, selective pressure, and expression patterns were analyzed. The results showed that there were 20 GRF genes in . Phylogenetic analysis showed that the 71 GRF genes from , , , and can be divided into three clades and six subclades. The 20 GRF genes of were distributed in twelve chromosomes and one contig. Furthermore, the gene structure and motif analysis showed that the intron and motif within each clade were very similar, but there were great differences among different clades. The promoter contained cis-acting elements related to hormone induction, stress, and growth and development. Different transcriptomic expression of MdGRFs indicated that MdGRFs may be involved in regulating the growth and development of . The results laid a foundation for further study on the function and molecular mechanism of the GRF gene family.