Genome-Wide Identification of NAC Gene Family Members of Tree Peony ( Andrews) and Their Expression under Heat and Waterlogging Stress.

An important family of transcription factors (TFs) in plants known as NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) is crucial for the responses of plants to environmental stressors. In this study, we mined the NAC TF family members of tree peony ( Andrews) from genome-wide data and analyzed their response to heat and waterlogging stresses in conjunction with transcriptome data. Based on tree peony's genomic information, a total of 48 genes were discovered. Based on how similar their protein sequences were, these genes were divided into 14 branches. While the gene structures and conserved protein motifs of the genes within each branch were largely the same, the cis-acting elements in the promoter region varied significantly. Transcriptome data revealed the presence of five genes (, , , , ) and one gene () in response to heat and waterlogging stresses, respectively. qRT-PCR analysis reconfirmed the response of these five genes to heat stress and one gene to waterlogging stress. This study lays a foundation for the study of the functions and regulatory mechanisms of NAC TFs in tree peony. Meanwhile, the NAC TFs of tree peony in response to heat and waterlogging stress were excavated, which is of great significance for the selection and breeding of new tree peony varieties with strong heat and waterlogging tolerance.