Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Growth-Regulating Factor Family in Sweet Potato and Its Two Relatives.

Growth-regulating factor (GRF) is a multi-gene family that plays an important role in plant growth and development and is widely present in plants. Currently, gene members have been reported in many plants, but the gene family has not been found in sweet potato. In this study, ten genes were identified in sweet potato (), twelve and twelve were identified in its two diploid relatives () and (), which were unevenly distributed on nine different chromosomes. Subcellular localization analysis showed that genes of sweet potato, , and were all located in the nucleus. The expression analysis showed that the expression of was diverse in different sweet potato parts, and most of the genes were upregulated and even had the highest expression in the vigorous growth buds. These findings provide molecular characterization of sweet potato and its two diploid relatives, the families, further supporting functional characterization.