Liu Linling, Lu Wenpeng, Fan Shutian, Yang Yiming
Institute of Special Animal and Plant Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun, China.
PeerJ. 2025 Apr 9;13:e19250. doi: 10.7717/peerj.19250. eCollection 2025.
The KNOX (KNOTTED1-like homeobox gene) gene family plays a pivotal role in controlling plant growth, maturation, and morphogenesis. However, the function of KNOX in has not yet been reported. This study identified and characterized the entire KNOX gene family in .
By employing bioinformatic approaches, the phylogenetic relationships, chromosomal positions, gene architectures, conserved motifs, cis-regulatory elements present in promoter regions, and gene expression profiles of KNOX gene family members in Vitis amurensis were identified and analyzed.
Ten KNOX genes spanning nine chromosomes were discovered, and these genes were subsequently categorized into two distinct subclasses. The promoter regions of members of the KNOX gene family include cis-acting elements that are involved in plant growth, hormonal regulation, and stress and light responses. An examination of the expression profiles of KNOX genes in different tissues of revealed that genes in Class I presented tissue-specific expression patterns, whereas genes belonging to Class II presented more ubiquitous expression across various tissues. The expression levels of Vitis amurensis KNOTTED1-like homeobox (VaKNOX)2, VaKNOX3, and VaKNOX5 were highest in fruits. VaKNOX2, VaKNOX3, and VaKNOX5 can serve as candidate genes for enhancing fruit quality. The expression levels of VaKNOX6 and VaKNOX7 were much higher in cold environments than in normal conditions. Through in-depth research into the functions of VaKNOX6 and VaKNOX7, we aimed to improve the cold resistance of grapevine varieties.
KNOX（类KNOTTED1同源异型盒基因）基因家族在控制植物生长、成熟和形态发生中起关键作用。然而，KNOX在[具体植物名称未给出]中的功能尚未见报道。本研究鉴定并表征了[具体植物名称未给出]中的整个KNOX基因家族。
采用生物信息学方法，鉴定并分析了山葡萄中KNOX基因家族成员的系统发育关系、染色体位置、基因结构、保守基序、启动子区域存在的顺式调控元件以及基因表达谱。
发现了跨越9条染色体的10个KNOX基因，这些基因随后被分为两个不同的亚类。KNOX基因家族成员的启动子区域包括参与植物生长、激素调节以及应激和光反应的顺式作用元件。对[具体植物名称未给出]不同组织中KNOX基因表达谱的研究表明，I类基因呈现组织特异性表达模式，而II类基因在各种组织中的表达更为普遍。山葡萄类KNOTTED1同源异型盒（VaKNOX）2、VaKNOX3和VaKNOX5在果实中的表达水平最高。VaKNOX2、VaKNOX3和VaKNOX5可作为提高果实品质的候选基因。VaKNOX6和VaKNOX7在寒冷环境中的表达水平远高于正常条件。通过对VaKNOX6和VaKNOX7功能的深入研究，旨在提高葡萄品种的抗寒性。
