Heat shock factors in tomatoes: genome-wide identification, phylogenetic analysis and expression profiling under development and heat stress

The HSF (heat shock factor) gene family contains highly conserved plant-specific factors that play an important mportant role in plant high-temperature stress response. The present study aimed in to matostudy HSF transcription factor genes present aimed to c responses. (Solanum lycopersicum), which an important vegetable crop worldwide were and the model plant for fruit development studies. Twenty-six HSF genes sixty identified in tomato, and the phylogenetic analysis showed the possible evolutiouprofie of subgroups among. in the plant kingdom. A new group 0 was identified that involved HSF genes in primitive plant species, like in the green algae, mosses and lycophytes. The gene structure and motifs of each SlyHSF were comprehensively analyzed. We identified orthologous, co-orthologous and paralogous HSF gene pairs in tomato, Arabidopsis and rice, and constructed a complex interaction network among these genes. The SIyHSF genes were expressed differentially in different species and at a higher level in mature fruits. The qPCR analysis was performed and showed SIyHSF genes greatly participate in plant heat tolerant pathways. Our comprehensive gnome-wide analysis provided insights into the HSF gene family of tomatoes.