Identification and expression profiling of R2R3-MYB transcription factors in Erigeron breviscapus

Abstract

R2 R3-MYB transcription factors are ubiquitous in plants, playing a role in the regulation of plant growth, development, and secondary metabolism. In this paper, the R2 R3-MYB transcription factors were identified by bioinformatics analysis of the genomic data of Erigeron breviscapus, and their gene sequences, structures, physical and chemical properties were analyzed. The functions of R2 R3-MYB transcription factors were predicted by cluster analysis. Meanwhile, the expression patterns of R2 R3-MYB transcription factors in response to hormone treatments were analyzed. A total of 108 R2 R3-MYB transcription factors, named EbMYB1-EbMYB108, were identified from the genome of E. breviscapus. Most of the R2 R3-MYB genes carried 2-4 exons. The phylogenetic tree of MYBs in E. breviscapus and Arabidopsis thaliala was constructed, which classified 234 MYBs into 30 subfamilies. The MYBs in the five MYB subfamilies of A.thaliala were clustered into independent clades, and those in E. breviscapus were clustered into four clades. The transcriptome data showed that MYB genes were differentially expressed in different tissues of E. breviscapus and in response to the treatments with exogenous hormones such as ABA, SA, and GA for different time. The transcription of 13 R2 R3-MYB genes did not change significantly, and the expression patterns of some genes were up-regulated or down-regulated with the extension of hormone treatment time. This study provides a theoretical basis for revealing the mechanisms of R2 R3-MYB transcription factors in regulating the growth and development, stress(hormone) response, and active ingredient accumulation in E. breviscapus.