Genome-Wide Identification of Family Members in Pepper and Their Expression Profiles in Response to Drought Stress.

The plant AT-rich sequence and zinc binding (PLATZ) transcription factors constitute a zinc-dependent protein family implicated in various developmental processes and responses to abiotic stress. Nevertheless, comprehensive investigations on gene functions in pepper () have not been extensively performed. In the present study, bioinformatics methods coupled with quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) were employed to characterize the phylogenetic relationships, chromosome distribution, structural composition, cis-regulatory elements, evolutionary dynamics, and expression responses of genes under drought stress conditions. Phylogenetic analyses categorized the genes into four distinct subgroups, each exhibiting similar gene structures and conserved motif patterns within its subgroup. A total of 11 genes were nonuniformly located across eight pepper chromosomes, and synteny analyses identified a duplication event involving a single gene pair. The assessment of cis-acting regulatory elements indicated potential involvement of genes in responses to abiotic stresses and various phytohormones. Furthermore, qRT-PCR results revealed differential expression of most genes under drought-induced stress. Collectively, these findings support the functional roles of transcription factors in mediating developmental processes and enhancing drought tolerance in pepper.