Abstract
Key message
The NF-Y gene family was identified and characterized in Populus trichocarpa by genome-wide analysis. Expression of PtoNF-Y was analyzed during floral bud development in Populus tomentosa.
Abstract
Nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) is a transcription factor widely found in eukaryotes. It is composed of three subunits: NF-YA, NF-YB, and NF-YC. NF-Y has been identified as a key regulator of multiple pathways that control responses to developmental, biotic, and abiotic factors. Although the NF-Y gene has been reported in many plants, it has not been comprehensively analyzed in poplar. In this study, a total of 46 NF-Y gene family members in the P. trichocarpa genome were accessed using NF-Y amino acid sequences from Arabidopsis thaliana as a probe. In addition, bioinformatic characterization of NF-Y gene family members in P. trichocarpa, including gene structure, chromosome location, and phylogenetic relationships, was conducted. The results of chromosome distribution showed that the 46 PtNF-Y genes were distributed among 16 chromosomes of P. trichocarpa at varying frequencies. Gene-structure analysis showed that seven members have no introns. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the NF-Y protein may have similar functions in Arabidopsis and P. trichocarpa. We used transcriptome data from different tissues to analyze the expression of the NF-Y genes in Populus tomentosa, and verified the results by qRT-PCR. The results indicated that some PtoNF-Y genes play significant roles in the floral bud development of P. tomentosa.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31570661), the National Key Program on Transgenic Research (2018ZX08020002-002-004), and the medium-long-term project of young teachers (2015ZCQ-SW-01). The English in this document has been checked by at least two professional editors, both native speakers of English. (http://www.textcheck.com/certificate/gzh38s).
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Juan Li, Kai Gao, and Xinmin An designed the experiments and wrote the manuscript. Juan Li, Wasif Ullah Khan, Tianyun Zhao, and Xiong Yang performed the experiments. Juan Li, Xiaoyu Yang, and Zhong Chen analyzed the data. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
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Li, J., Gao, K., Khan, W.U. et al. Genome-wide analysis of the poplar NF-Y gene family and its expression in floral bud development of Populus tomentosa. Trees 34, 285–296 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-019-01917-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-019-01917-3