Wu Huafeng, Liu Bin, Cao Yinzhu, Ma Guanpeng, Zheng Xiaowen, Zhu Haoxiang, Sui Shunzhao
Chongqing Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Key Laboratory of Agricultural Biosafety and Green Production of Upper Yangtze River (Ministry of Education), College of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
Institute of Horticulture, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China.
Plants (Basel). 2025 Apr 7;14(7):1144. doi: 10.3390/plants14071144.
, also known as wintersweet, is a traditional ornamental plant in China. It blooms during the cold winter months and emits a long-lasting fragrance. The WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) transcription factor family is a plant-specific family of homeodomain (HD) transcription factors that plays diverse roles in plant development. We identified 13 family genes ( and ) and systematically analysed their physicochemical properties, evolutionary relationships, conserved domains, and expression regulation characteristics. The subcellular localization prediction indicates that all CpWOX proteins are localized in the nucleus and contain a conserved homeobox domain, with the WUS clade specifically containing a WUS-box motif. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these genes are divided into three evolutionary branches: the WUS, ancient, and intermediate clades. Promoter analysis suggests that genes may be involved in hormone responses, abiotic stress, developmental regulation, and encodes a nuclear-localised protein with self-activating activity. It is highly expressed in the stamen and root and is induced by low and high temperatures, salt stress, and methyl jasmonate. This study revealed the evolutionary characteristics of the WOX family genes in wintersweet and the function of in regulating flowering time and root development, providing a theoretical basis for understanding the developmental regulatory mechanisms in wintersweet.
腊梅，又称黄梅，是中国传统观赏植物。它在寒冷的冬季开花，散发持久的香气。WUSCHEL相关同源异型框（WOX）转录因子家族是植物特有的同源异型域（HD）转录因子家族，在植物发育中发挥多种作用。我们鉴定了13个该家族基因（ ），并系统分析了它们的理化性质、进化关系、保守结构域和表达调控特征。亚细胞定位预测表明，所有CpWOX蛋白都定位于细胞核，且含有保守的同源异型框结构域，其中WUS进化枝特别含有一个WUS-box基序。系统发育分析表明，这些基因分为三个进化分支：WUS、古老和中间进化枝。启动子分析表明， 基因可能参与激素反应、非生物胁迫、发育调控，并且编码一种具有自我激活活性的核定位蛋白。它在雄蕊和根中高表达，受低温和高温、盐胁迫以及茉莉酸甲酯诱导。本研究揭示了腊梅中WOX家族基因的进化特征以及 在调控开花时间和根发育中的功能，为理解腊梅的发育调控机制提供了理论依据。
