AUTHOR=Zhao Yue , Ma Renyi , Xu Dongliang , Bi Huihui , Xia Zongliang , Peng Huiru 

TITLE=Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of the AP2 Transcription Factor Gene Family in Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=10

YEAR=2019

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2019.01286

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2019.01286

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>The AP2 transcription factors play important roles in regulating plant growth and development. However, limited data are available on the contributions of AP2 transcription factors in wheat (<italic>Triticum aestivum</italic> L.). In the present study, a total of 62 <italic>AP2</italic> genes were identified in wheat from a genome-wide search against the latest wheat genome data. Phylogenetic and sequence alignment analyses divided the wheat <italic>AP2</italic> genes into 3 clusters, euAP2, euANT, and basalANT. Chromosomal distribution, gene structure and duplication, and motif composition were subsequently investigated. The 62 <italic>TaAP2</italic> genes were unevenly distributed on 21 chromosomes. Twenty-four homologous gene sets among A, B, and D sub-genomes were detected, which contributed to the expansion of the wheat <italic>AP2</italic> gene family. The expression levels of <italic>TaAP2</italic> genes were examined using the WheatExp database; most detected genes exhibited tissue-specific expression patterns. The transcript levels of 9 randomly selected <italic>TaAP2</italic> genes were validated through qPCR analyses. Overexpression of <italic>TaAP2-10-5D</italic>, the most likely homolog of <italic>Arabidopsis</italic><italic>ANT</italic> gene, increased organ sizes in <italic>Arabidopsis</italic>. Our results extend our knowledge of the <italic>AP2</italic> gene family in wheat, and contribute to further functional characterization of <italic>AP2s</italic> during wheat development with the ultimate goal of improving crop production.</p>