Genome-Wide Identification of R2R3-MYB Transcription Factor Family in Tartary Buckwheat (<i>Fagopyrum tataricum</i>) Identifies a Member Involved in Anthocyanin Biosynthesis

• Published in: Agronomy
• Main Authors: Jiao Deng, Lijuan Wang, Rebecca Njeri Damaris, Jiali Zhao, Lan Zhang, Tingting Wang, Chaojie Yang, Juan Huang, Taoxiong Shi, Liwei Zhu, Ziye Meng, Fang Cai, Qingfu Chen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2023-08-01
• Subjects: anthocyanin biosynthesis; bioinformation analysis; <i>R2R3-MYB</i> gene family; Tartary buckwheat
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/13/8/2117

Tartary buckwheat (<i>Fagopyrum tataricum</i> Gaertn.) belongs to the family of Polygonaceae and is used as a multi-functional plant. R2R3-MYB transcription factors play a crucial part in plant growth and are involved in many biological processes where they regulate their internal environment. To date, there is no documented systematic research on the <i>R2R3-MYB</i> gene family in Tartary buckwheat. Here, domain features, chromosomal location, motif prediction, gene structure, <i>cis</i>-acting elements, as well as the expression pattern of R2R3-MYB transcription factors were analyzed comprehensively in Tartary buckwheat using a bioinformatic approach. Additionally, one <i>R2R3-MYB</i> gene was verified by transgenic <i>Arabidopsis</i>. Results indicate that a total of 152 <i>R2R3-MYB</i> genes were identified with special R2R3 domains and were distributed on 8 chromosomes of Tartary buckwheat. They were further classified into 25 sub-categories via phylogenetic analysis in terms of the <i>R2R3-MYB</i> gene family classification principles of <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>. This classification was further supported by analysis of exon–intron structure, motif, and <i>cis</i>-elements. Tandem and segmental duplication existed among the <i>R2R3-MYB</i> gene family of Tartary buckwheat, and there were 5, 8, 27, and 36 <i>FtR2R3-MYB</i> homologous genes, respectively, when comparing with <i>Zea mays</i>, <i>Oryza sativa</i>, <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>, and <i>Solanum melongena</i> by synteny analysis. The expression pattern of <i>FtR2R3-MYB</i> genes in different tissue and under salt stress and different light condition showed that members had tissue-specific expression levels and that these members may play diverse functions in plant growth and adaptation to varying environments. In addition, one of the <i>FtR2R3-MYB</i> gene families, <i>FtMYB43</i>, a homologue of <i>AtTT2</i>, clustered with <i>R2R3-MYB</i> from other plant species, which were reported to be involved in the regulation of anthocyanin or proanthocyanidin biosynthesis. This gene was located in the nucleus, and had transcriptional activation activity, indicating that FtMYB43 may be a positive transcript factor of anthocyanin or proanthocyadin biosynthesis. Moreover, the function of FtMYB43 was further verified to improve the production of anthocyanin in transgenic <i>Arabidopsis</i> by overexpression, and qRT-PCR assay implied that FtMYB43 may regulate the expression levels of most structural genes of the anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway in <i>Arabidopsis</i> seedlings. These results provide more insights into the structure and function of the <i>R2R3-MYB</i> gene family and may accelerate the breeding of ornamental buckwheat cultivars.