Bioinformatics Analysis of WRKY Family Genes in Flax (Linum usitatissimum)

WRKY gene family is one of the largest transcription factor families involved in various physiological processes of plants. Flax (Linum usitatissimum) is an important stem fiber crop, and it is also an economically important crop in natural fiber and textile industries around the world. In this study, 105 WRKY genes were obtained by screening the whole genome of flax. There were 26 in group I, 68 in group II, 8 in group III and 3 in group UN. The characteristics of the WRKY motif and gene structure in each group are similar. The promoter sequence of WRKY genes includes photoresponsive elements, core regulatory elements and 12 cis-acting elements under abiotic stress. Similar to A. thaliana and Compositae plants, WRKY genes are evenly distributed on each chromosome, with segmental and tandem repeated events, which play a major role in the evolution of WRKY genes. The flax WRKY gene family is mainly concentrated in group I and group II. This study is mainly based on genome-wide information to classify and analyze the flax WRKY gene family, laying a foundation for further understanding the role of WRKY transcription factors in species evolution and functional analysis.

Automated summary

In this study, 105 WRKY genes were identified in the flax genome, with 26 belonging to group I, 68 to group II, 8 to group III, and 3 to group UN. The WRKY genes showed similarities in gene structure and WRKY motif characteristics within each group. The promoter sequence of WRKY genes contained photoresponsive elements, core regulatory elements, and abiotic stress-related cis-acting elements. The flax WRKY gene family exhibited an even distribution on chromosomes and was mainly concentrated in group I and II. This study provides a foundation for further understanding the evolution and functional analysis of WRKY transcription factors.