Though conserved in higher plants, the WOX transcription factors play crucial roles in plant growth and development of Melastoma dodecandrum Lour., which shows pioneer position in land ecosystem formation and produces nutritional fruits. Identifying the WOX family genes in M. dodecandrum is imperative for elucidating its growth and development mechanisms. However, the WOX genes in M. dodecandrum have not yet been characterized. In this study, by identification 22 WOX genes in M. dodecandrum based on current genome data, we classified family genes into three clades and nine types with homeodomains. We highlighted gene duplications of MedWOX4, which offered evidences of whole-genome duplication events. Promoter analysis illustrated that cis-regulatory elements related to light and stress responses and plant growth were enriched. Expression pattern and RT-qPCR results demonstrated that the majority of WOX genes exhibited expression in the stem. MedWOX13s displayed highest expression across various tissues. MedWOX4s displayed a specific expression in the stem. Collectively, our study provided foundations for elucidating WOX gene functions and further molecular design breeding in M. dodecandrum.
Keywords: WOX transcription factors; expression analysis; physicochemical properties; plant growth.