Comprehensive Identification of Auxin Response Factor Gene Family and Their Expression Profiles Under Lanthanum Stress in <i>Amorphophallus konjac</i>
2025
Xiaoxian Li | Herui Huang | Jinjun Shen | Jingyi Long | Hui Wang | Zhenming Yu
<i>Amorphophallus konjac</i> is an economically important horticultural crop, valued for its corms as both a traditional medicine and a food source. The auxin transcription factor (ARF) family plays pivotal roles in auxin signaling and the processes of the morphogenesis of tissues and organs. However, the specific role of the <i>ARF</i> gene family in the regulation of corms remains unknown. In this study, we identified 23 <i>AkARF</i> genes unevenly distributed across 11 chromosomes in <i>A. konjac</i>. Phylogenetic analysis classified these proteins into four distinct clades, with members of the same group sharing conserved gene structures. Expression profiling demonstrated <i>AkARF</i> genes were expressed in a tissue-specific and spatio-temporal manner. Furthermore, lanthanum treatment significantly increased corm biomass and endogenous auxin levels (peak at 20 mg·L<sup>−1</sup>; <i>p</i> < 0.05). Transcriptome and qRT-PCR analyses revealed coordinated expression of <i>AkARF6/13/14/16/20</i> with corm biomass accumulation. Pearson’s correlation analysis further confirmed positive correlations of <i>AkARF6/13</i> with auxin content (<i>p</i> < 0.05). These results suggested the potential regulatory roles of <i>AkARF6/13</i> in auxin-mediated corm development. This study provides the potential functional role of ARF-mediated growth and development of corms in <i>A. konjac</i>.
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