Genome-Wide Identification, Characterization, and Expression Analysis of NF-Y Gene Family in Seedlings and Involved in Heat-Stress Response and Tolerance.

Nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) transcription factors play an essential role in regulating plant growth, development, and stress responses. Despite extensive research on the NF-Y gene family across various species, the knowledge regarding the NF-Y family in remains unknown. In this study, we identified a total of 25 NF-Y genes (seven GbNF-YAs, 12 GbNF-YBs, and six GbNF-YCs) in the genome. We characterized the gene structure, conserved motifs, multiple sequence alignments, and phylogenetic relationships with other species (Populus and Arabidopsis). Additionally, we conducted a synteny analysis, which revealed the occurrence of segment duplicated s and s. The promoters of genes contained cis-acting elements related to stress response, and miRNA-mRNA analysis showed that some s with stress-related cis-elements could be targeted by the conserved miRNA169. The expression of genes responded to drought, salt, and heat treatments, with showing significant upregulation under heat and drought stress. Subcellular localization indicated that GbNF-YA6 was located in both the nucleus and the membrane. Overexpressing in ginkgo callus significantly induced the expression of heat-shock factors (GbHSFs), and overexpressing in transgenic Arabidopsis enhanced its heat tolerance. Additionally, Y2H assays demonstrated that GbNF-YA6 could interact with GbHSP at the protein level. Overall, our findings offer novel insights into the role of in enhancing abiotic stress tolerance and warrant further functional research of genes.