The Homeodomain leucine zipper (HD-Zip) family of transcription factors is crucial in helping plants adapt to environmental changes and promoting their growth and development. Despite research on the HD-Zip family in various plants, studies in (crape myrtle) have not been reported. This study aimed to address this gap by comprehensively analyzing the HD-Zip gene family in crape myrtle. This study identified 52 HD-Zip genes in the genome of , designated as . These genes were distributed across 22 chromosomes and grouped into 4 clusters (HD-Zip I-IV) based on their phylogenetic relationships. Most gene structures and motifs within each cluster were conserved. Analysis of protein properties, gene structure, conserved motifs, and -acting regulatory elements revealed diverse roles of in various biological contexts. Examining the expression patterns of these 52 genes in 6 tissues (shoot apical meristem, tender shoot, and mature shoot) of non-dwarf and dwarf crape myrtles revealed that 2 ( and ) and 2 ( and ) were respectively upregulated in tender shoot of non-dwarf crape myrtles and tender and mature shoots of dwarf crape myrtles, which suggested the important roles of these genes in regulate the shoot development of . In addition, the expression levels of 2 ( and ) were significantly upregulated in the shoot apical meristem of non-dwarf crape myrtle. These genes were identified as key candidates for regulating plant height. This study enhanced the understanding of the functions of HD-Zip family members in the growth and development processes of woody plants and provided a theoretical basis for further studies on the molecular mechanisms underlying plant height.
Nucleic Acids Res. 2009 Jul;37(Web Server issue):W202-8
[PMID: 19458158]
Plant Signal Behav. 2009 Feb;4(2):86-8
[PMID: 19649178]
Grants
Grant No. 32301650; Grant No. ZR2022QC143/the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 32301650); the National Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Grant No. ZR2022QC143)
