Genome-wide identification and comprehensive analysis of the AP2/ERF gene family in Prunus sibirica under low-temperature stress

Abstract

Background AP2/ERF transcription factors (TFs) are plant-specific transcription factors involved in the regulation of plant growth and development and in response to stresses. Although AP2/ERF TFs have been identified in numerous species and analyzed in many, such as Oryza sativa, Arabidopsis thaliana, and Populus trichocarpa, studies on the Prunus sibirica AP2/ERF (PsAP2/ERF) gene family have not been reported. In the study, 112 PsAP2/ERFs were identified and categorized into 16 subfamilies. Results The same subfamilies of PsAP2/ERFs typically exhibited similar exon-intron structures and motif compositions. In all, 50 pairs of segmentally duplicated genes were identified within the PsAP2/ERF gene family. The results showed that 20 PsAP2/ERFswere highly expressed in leaves, roots, and pistils, and highly expressed under different conditions of low temperature stress. Conclusions This study provides a solid scientific foundation for follow-up research on the evolutionary characteristics of AP2/ERFs in P. sibirica, leading to an improved understanding of the molecular basis of their developmental and low-temperature stress responses, and further investigating the functional expression of PsAP2/ERFs.