Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of the Laccase Gene Family in and Its Potential Roles in Response to Salt and Drought Stresses.

Laccase (, EC 1.10.3.2) is integral to the formation of lignin synthesis, flavonoid production, and responses to both biotic and abiotic stresses. While recent studies have characterized numerous gene families and their functions across various plants, information regarding genes in woodland strawberry () remains limited. In this study, we identified a total of 57 genes in the genome, which were phylogenetically categorized into five distinct groups. Analysis of the gene structures revealed a uniformity in the exon-intron structure among the subgroups, while conserved motifs identified unique motifs specific to certain subgroups, suggesting functional variations. Chromosomal localization studies indicated that are distributed across seven chromosomes, and collinearity analysis demonstrated that exhibit collinearity within the species. Additionally, cis-acting element analysis suggested that genes are involved in stress responses, hormone responses, light responses, and the growth and development of plants. qRT-PCR demonstrated that responded to salt, drought, and hormone stresses, with the expression levels of , , and continuously increasing under these stress conditions. Furthermore, transgenic yeast experiments revealed that enhanced yeast tolerance to both salt and drought stresses, while and negatively regulated yeast tolerance under these same conditions. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for further investigation into the functions of genes in woodland strawberry.