Genome-Wide Analysis of Multigene Family in Sunflower ( L.).

The WUSCHEL-related homeobox () is a family of specific transcription factors involved in plant development and response to stress, characterized by the presence of a homeodomain. This study represents the first comprehensive characterization of the family in a member of the Asteraceae family, the sunflower ( L.). Overall, we identified 18 putative genes divided by phylogenetic analysis in three major clades (i.e., ancient, intermediate, and WUS). These genes showed conserved structural and functional motifs. Moreover, has homogeneously distributed on chromosomes. In particular, 10 genes originated after whole segment duplication events, underpinning a possible evolution of this family along with the sunflower genome. In addition, gene expression analysis evidenced a specific pattern of regulation of the putative 18 during embryo growth and in ovule and inflorescence meristem differentiation, suggesting a pivotal role for this multigenic family in sunflower development. The results obtained in this work improved the understanding of the multigenic family, providing a resource for future study on functional analysis in an economically valuable species such as sunflower.