Genome-wide identification and characterization of the gene family in sorghum under salt-alkali stress.

Fasciclin-like arabinogalactan proteins (FLAs) are crucial for plant growth and development. Utilizing whole genome data, this study delineated the number of genes, gene structure, chromosomal localization, protein structure, evolutionary relationships, and Gene Ontology (GO) annotations of the family in sorghum ( L.). In addition, genes' expression in wild-type sorghum (P898012) under salt-alkali stress (SAS) was examined. We identified 26 genes in sorghum. Phylogenetic analysis divided these genes into five subgroups, where members within the same subgroup exhibited extremely similar, though not identical, gene structures. A collinearity analysis of the sorghum genes revealed that does not share a homologous relationship with those in Zea and Arabidopsis, suggesting its uniqueness to sorghum. Promoter element analysis indicated that the genes contain various response elements associated with abiotic stress. GO annotations demonstrated that most FLA proteins are primarily located on the plasma membrane and are involved in diverse biological processes. Transcriptomic data and qRT-PCR analysis under SAS revealed that members of the family responded to stress at different times. These findings provide valuable references for breeding sorghum varieties tolerant to salt-alkali conditions.