Comprehensive Analysis of WUSCEL-Related Homeobox Gene Family in Ramie (<i>Boehmeria nivea</i>) Indicates Its Potential Role in Adventitious Root Development
2023
Aminu Shehu Abubakar | Yongmei Wu | Fengming Chen | Aiguo Zhu | Ping Chen | Kunmei Chen | Xiaojun Qiu | Xiaoyu Huang | Haohan Zhao | Jikang Chen | Gang Gao
A WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) gene family has been implicated in promoting vegetative organs to embryonic transition and maintaining plant embryonic stem cell identity. Using genome-wide analysis, we identified 17 candidates, WOX genes in ramie (<i>Boehmeria nivea</i>). The genes (BnWOX) showed highly conserved homeodomain regions typical of WOX. Based on phylogenetic analysis, they were classified into three distinct groups: modern, intermediate, and ancient clades. The genes displayed 65% and 35% collinearities with their <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> and <i>Oryza sativa</i> ortholog, respectively, and exhibited similar motifs, suggesting similar functions. Furthermore, four segmental duplications (<i>BnWOX10/14</i>, <i>BnWOX13A/13B</i>, <i>BnWOX9A/9B</i>, and <i>BnWOX6A/Maker00021031</i>) and a tandem-duplicated pair (<i>BnWOX5/7</i>) among the putative ramie WOX genes were obtained, suggesting that whole-genome duplication (WGD) played a role in WOX gene expansion. Expression profiling analysis of the genes in the bud, leaf, stem, and root of the stem cuttings revealed higher expression levels of <i>BnWOX10</i> and <i>BnWOX14</i> in the stem and root and lower in the leaf consistent with the qRT-PCR analysis, suggesting their direct roles in ramie root formation. Analysis of the rooting characteristics and expression in the stem cuttings of sixty-seven different ramie genetic resources showed a possible involvement of <i>BnWOX14</i> in the adventitious rooting of ramie. Thus, this study provides valuable information on ramie WOX genes and lays the foundation for further research.
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