Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of Glutathione -Transferase Gene Family in Foxtail Millet ( L.).

Glutathione -transferases (GSTs) are a critical superfamily of multifunctional enzymes in plants. As a ligand or binding protein, GSTs regulate plant growth and development and detoxification. Foxtail millet ( (L.) P. ) could respond to abiotic stresses through a highly complex multi-gene regulatory network in which the GST family is also involved. However, genes have been scarcely studied in foxtail millet. Genome-wide identification and expression characteristics analysis of the foxtail millet GST gene family were conducted by biological information technology. The results showed that 73 genes () were identified in the foxtail millet genome and were divided into seven classes. The chromosome localization results showed uneven distribution of on the seven chromosomes. There were 30 tandem duplication gene pairs belonging to 11 clusters. Only one pair of and were identified as fragment duplication genes. A total of ten conserved motifs were identified in the GST family of foxtail millet. The gene structure of is relatively conservative, but the number and length of exons of each gene are still different. The cis-acting elements in the promoter region of 73 genes showed that 94.5% of genes possessed defense and stress-responsive elements. The expression profiles of 37 genes covering 21 tissues suggested that most genes were expressed in multiple organs and were highly expressed in roots and leaves. By qPCR analysis, we found that 21 genes were responsive to abiotic stresses and abscisic acid (ABA). Taken together, this study provides a theoretical basis for identifying foxtail millet GST family information and improving their responses to different stresses.