AUTHOR=Shen Mingli , Zhao Kai , Luo Xianmei , Guo Lingling , Ma Zhirui , Wen Lei , Lin Siqing , Lin Yingxuan , Sun Hongyan , Ahmad Sagheer 

TITLE=Genome mining of WOX-ARF gene linkage in Machilus pauhoi underpinned cambial activity associated with IAA induction

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=15

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1364086

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2024.1364086

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>As an upright tree with multifunctional economic application, <italic>Machilus pauhoi</italic> is an excellent choice in modern forestry from Lauraceae. The growth characteristics is of great significance for its molecular breeding and improvement. However, there still lack the information of WUSCHEL-related homeobox (<italic>WOX</italic>) and Auxin response factor (<italic>ARF</italic>) gene family, which were reported as specific transcription factors in plant growth as well as auxin signaling. Here, a total of sixteen <italic>MpWOX</italic> and twenty-one <italic>MpARF</italic> genes were identified from the genome of <italic>M. pauhoi</italic>. Though member of WOX conserved in the Lauraceae, <italic>MpWOX</italic> and <italic>MpARF</italic> genes were unevenly distributed on 12 chromosomes as a result of region duplication. These genes presented 45 and 142 miRNA editing sites, respectively, reflecting a potential post-transcriptional restrain. Overall, <italic>MpWOX4</italic>, <italic>MpWOX13a</italic>, <italic>MpWOX13b</italic>, <italic>MpARF6b, MpARF6c</italic>, and <italic>MpARF19a</italic> were highly co-expressed in the vascular cambium, forming a working mode as WOX-ARF complex. <italic>MpWOXs</italic> contains typical AuxRR-core and TGA-element cis-acting regulatory elements in this auxin signaling linkage. In addition, under IAA and NPA treatments, <italic>MpARF2a</italic> and <italic>MpWOX1a</italic> was highly sensitive to IAA response, showing significant changes after 6 hours of treatment. And <italic>MpWOX1a</italic> was significantly inhibited by NPA treatment. Through all these solid analysis, our findings provide a genetic foundation to growth mechanism analysis and further molecular designing breeding in <italic>Machilus pauhoi</italic>.</p>