Genome-wide identification of the C2H2 zinc finger gene family and expression analysis under salt stress in sweetpotato.

INTRODUCTION

The higher plant transcription factor C2H2 zinc finger protein (C2H2-ZFP) is essential for plant growth, development, and stress response. There are limited studies on genes in sweetpotato, despite a substantial number of genes having been systematically found in plants.

METHODS

In this work, 178 genes were found in sweetpotato, distributed randomly on 15 chromosomes, and given new names according to where they were located. These members of the zinc finger gene family are separated into six branches, as shown by the phylogenetic tree. 24 tandem repeats of genes and 46 fragment repeats were identified, and a homology study revealed that genes linked more regions with wild relative species of sweetpotato as well as rhizome plants like potato and cassava. And we analyzed the expression patterns of genes during the early development of sweetpotato storage roots (SRs) and salt stress using transcriptome data, and identified 44 genes that exhibited differences in expression levels during the early expansion of sweetpotato SRs in different varieties, and 92 genes that exhibited differences in expression levels under salt stress in salt tolerant and salt sensitive sweetpotato varieties. Additionally, we cloned six genes in sweetpotato and analyzed their expression patterns in different tissues, their expression patterns under abiotic stress and hormone treatment, and subcellular localization.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The results showed that the genes had tissue specificity in sweetpotato and were induced to varying degrees by drought and salt stress. ABA and GA treatments also affected the expression of the genes. We selected , which showed significant differences in expression levels under salt stress and ABA treatment, to be heterologously expressed in . We found that OE lines exhibited higher tolerance to salt stress and ABA stress. This indicates that can enhance the salt tolerance of plants. These results systematically identified the evolution and expression patterns of members of the gene family in sweetpotato, providing a theoretical basis for studying the role of genes in the development of sweetpotato SRs and in resistance to stress.