TY  - EJOU
AU  - Li, Huiyun 
AU  - Kuang, Caimin 
AU  - Liu, Zixin 
AU  - Song, Yujian 
AU  - Guo, Xue 
AU  - Li, Jinbo 
AU  - Zhang, Yanzhao 

TI  - Identification and Expression Analysis of the TALE Gene Family Across the Genome of Tree Peony (<i>Paeonia ostii</i>)
T2  - Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany

PY  - 
VL  - 
IS  - 
SN  - 1851-5657

AB  - TALE transcription factors are essential for plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses. In <i>P. ostii</i>, a species of high ornamental and economic value, heat and drought stress severely limit productivity, yet systematic identification of the TALE family has been lacking. Here, 30 TALE transcription factors were identified via bioinformatics, with protein lengths of 89–774 aa and molecular weights (Mws) of 10,182.91 Da–84,550.84 Da. Comprehensive analyses covered physicochemical properties, phylogenetics, chromosomal localization, promoter <i>cis</i>-elements, conserved motifs, synteny, and tissue-specific expression. Based on homeodomain features, genes were classified into KNOX and BELL subfamilies, with similar structural features within each subfamily. All PoTALE proteins were predicted to be nuclear-localized. Genes were unevenly distributed across five chromosomes, enriched on chromosome 1. Additionally, <i>PoTALE-25</i> and <i>PoTALE-10</i> were mapped to uncharacterized scaffolds 3 and 2294, respectively. Promoter analysis revealed <i>cis</i>-elements related to development, hormones, and abiotic stress, suggesting roles in stress adaptation and development. Intron numbers varied: 15 genes had 1–4 introns, and 15 had 5–15 introns. Collinearity analysis showed 12 homologous pairs between <i>P. ostii</i> and each of <i>P. ludlowii</i>, <i>S. lycopersicum</i>, and <i>S. tuberosum</i>, versus 6 with <i>A. thaliana</i> and 1 with <i>O. sativa</i>, consistent with higher syntenic retention among dicots. The highest retention between the two peony species reflects their closest phylogenetic relationship. Tissue-specific expression profiling revealed pronounced transcript accumulation in leaves, pink and red petals, pistils, seeds, shoots, and flower spots, with the highest levels in leaves, petals, and spots. Among these, <i>PoTALE-3</i>, <i>PoTALE-14</i>, and <i>PoTALE-15</i> were prioritized as candidates for functional studies on spot formation and vegetative organ development. Collectively, these findings highlight the functional diversity of the PoTALE family and its potential involvement in stress responses and developmental regulation.
KW  - Tree peony; TALE gene family; KNOX; BELL; bioinformatics

DO  - 10.32604/phyton.2026.087331