Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of gene family in .

The Epidermal Patterning Factor/EPF-like (EPF/EPFL) family encodes a specific type of secreted protein in plants and plays an important role in plant growth and development, especially in the process of morphogenesis. To investigate the characteristics of gene family members and their regulatory functions in stomatal development of , a total of 15 family genes were identified. Then the gene structure, chromosome location, phylogenetic relationship, protein conserved domain and gene expression profile were analyzed. According to phylogenetic analysis, PtEPF/EPFL can be classified into four groups. The gene structure and protein conservation motifs within the EPF family indicate the high conservation of the sequence. The promoter region of was found to contain cis-elements in response to stress and plant hormones. In addition, RT-qPCR results indicated that the have a differentially expressed in different tissues. Under drought stress treatment, a substantial upregulation was observed in the majority of members, suggesting their potential involvement in drought response. These results provide a theoretical basis for future exploration of the characteristics and functions of more genes.