An Investigation into the Evolutionary Characteristics and Expression Patterns of the Basic Leucine Zipper Gene Family in the Endangered Species Under Abiotic Stress Through Bioinformatics.

The gene family play a crucial role in plant growth, development, and stress responses, functioning as transcription factors. While this gene family has been studied in several plant species, its roles in the endangered woody plant remain largely unclear. This study comprehensively analyzed the gene family in , identifying 71 genes distributed across all 12 chromosomes. The amino acid count in these genes ranged from 74 to 839, with molecular weights varying from 8813.28 Da to 88,864.94 Da. Phylogenetic analysis categorized the genes into 12 subfamilies (A-K, S). Interspecific collinearity analysis revealed homologous genes between and . A promoter cis-acting element analysis indicated that genes contain various elements responsive to plant hormones, stress signals, and light. Additionally, expression analysis of public RNA-seq data showed that genes are distributed across multiple tissues, exhibiting distinct expression patterns specific to root bark, root xylem, stem bark, stem xylem, and leaves. We also performed qRT-PCR analysis on five representative genes (, , , , and ). The results demonstrated significant differences in the expression of genes under various abiotic stress conditions, including salt stress, heat, and drought. Notably, and exhibited robust responses under salt or heat stress conditions. This study confirmed the roles of the gene family in responding to various abiotic stresses, thereby providing insights into its functions in plant growth, development, and stress adaptation. The findings lay a foundation for future research on breeding and enhancing stress resistance in .