Genome-Wide Analysis of Gene Family Associated with Stress Responses in Cotton ( spp.).

The VILLIN (VLN) protein plays a crucial role in regulating the actin cytoskeleton, which is involved in numerous developmental processes, and is crucial for plant responses to both biotic and abiotic factors. Although various plants have been studied to understand the gene family and its potential functions, there has been limited exploration of genes in and fiber crops. In the present study, we characterized 94 VLNs from species and 101 VLNs from related higher plants such as and and some fungal, algal, and animal species. By combining these VLN sequences with other spp., we classified the gene family into three distinct groups, based on their phylogenetic relationships. A more in-depth examination of revealed that 14 were distributed across 12 of the 26 chromosomes. These genes exhibit specific structures and protein motifs corresponding to their respective groups. promoters are enriched with cis-elements related to abiotic stress responses, hormonal signals, and developmental processes. Notably, a significant number of cis-elements were associated with the light responses. Additionally, our analysis of gene-expression patterns indicated that most were expressed in various tissues, with certain members exhibiting particularly high expression levels in sepals, stems, and tori, as well as in stress responses. The present study potentially provides fundamental insights into the gene family and could serve as a valuable reference for further elucidating the diverse functions of genes in cotton.