Biotechnology Bulletin ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (6): 179-190.doi: 10.13560/j.cnki.biotech.bull.1985.2024-1205

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Identification of TCP Gene Family in Medicago ruthenica and Their Expression Pattern Analysis under Drought Stress

WANG Miao-miao1(), ZHAO Xiang-long1, WANG Zhao-ming2, LIU Zhi-peng1, YAN Long-feng3()   

  1. 1.State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020
    2.National Center of Pratacultural Technology Innovation (Under Preparation), Hohhot 010051
    3.School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730020
  • Received:2024-12-12 Online:2025-06-26 Published:2025-06-30
  • Contact: YAN Long-feng E-mail:977441324@qq.com;yanlf@lzu.edu.cn

Abstract:

Objective TCP (Teosinte-branched 1/Cincinnata/Proliferating) is a class of transcription factors that regulate plant growth and development and response to stress. Dissecting the sequence structure and physicochemical properties of the TCP gene family members (MruTCP) in Medicago ruthenica will help to understand the role of MruTCP genes under drought stress and provide genetic resources for molecular breeding of forage. Method MruTCP genes were identified based on the whole genome level and analyzed for bioinformatics and expression patterns under drought stress. Result A total of 20 TCP genes were identified in M. ruthenica, and distributed on seven chromosomes. The results of phylogenetic analysis showed that the MruTCP proteins were categorized into three subfamilies: PCF, CIN and CYC/TB1, with differences in the motif types and order of the proteins, but all of them contained a common conserved motif: Motif 1, and the structure of the family members was relatively simple. The results of the covariance analysis indicated that there were two fragment duplication events within the alfalfa TCP family and the closest affinity with soybean. The results of promoter cis-acting element analysis indicated that the MruTCP family members were more complex in function and played roles in signaling, response to abiotic stress, light signaling response, and hormone regulation. Transcriptomic data and qRT-PCR results under drought stress indicated that the expression patterns of MruTCP gene family members differed at different time points and under different concentrations of drought treatments. Among them, MruTCP05 and MruTCP09 contained abundant hormone-responsive elements and stress-responsive elements and were strongly induced by drought stress. Conclusion Combined with the bioinformatics analysis and expression pattern analysis of the TCP gene family, this study hypothesized that MruTCP05 and MruTCP09 are candidate genes for regulating drought tolerance in M. ruthenica.

Key words: Medicago ruthenica, TCP gene, drought stress, transcriptional expression analysis