Identification and Expression Analysis of the 14-3-3 Gene Family in the Mulberry Tree

The 14-3-3 protein family regulates diverse physiological processes in plants. In this study, we identified eight 14-3-3 genes (designated MaGF14a to MaGF14h) from the mulberry tree. The phylogenetic tree demonstrated that MaGF14s can be divided into two major groups. Tissue-specific expression profiles indicated that the eight MaGF14s were expressed in all organs and they were most highly expressed in the female flower. We also detected different expression of the eight MaGF14s during seed germination and flower development. MaGF14a, MaGF14c, and MaGF14h were strongly expressed in the first 3 days after seed germination, while the MaGF14b, MaGF14d, MaGF14e, MaGF14f, and MaGF14g isoforms were expressed highly in the later period. All the MaGF14s were expressed low during development of male flowers and fruits. These findings indicate that MaGF14s play important roles in the growth and development of the mulberry tree.