Genome-Wide Characterization of the Heat Shock Transcription Factor Gene Family in <i>Begonia semperflorens</i> Reveals Promising Candidates for Heat Tolerance

<i>Begonia semperflorens</i> (<i>B. semperflorens</i>) is a popular ornamental plant widely used in landscapes such as plazas and flower beds, and it is also commonly grown as a potted plant indoors. It is known for its adaptability to high temperatures, drought, and shade. U...

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Main Authors: Zhirou Liu, Nan Lin, Qirui Wang, Enkai Xu, Kaiming Zhang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Current Issues in Molecular Biology
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/47/6/398
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author Zhirou Liu
Nan Lin
Qirui Wang
Enkai Xu
Kaiming Zhang
author_facet Zhirou Liu
Nan Lin
Qirui Wang
Enkai Xu
Kaiming Zhang
author_sort Zhirou Liu
collection DOAJ
description <i>Begonia semperflorens</i> (<i>B. semperflorens</i>) is a popular ornamental plant widely used in landscapes such as plazas and flower beds, and it is also commonly grown as a potted plant indoors. It is known for its adaptability to high temperatures, drought, and shade. Under heat-tolerant conditions, heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) are key transcriptional regulatory proteins that play crucial roles in cellular processes. Despite extensive studies on the <i>HSF</i> family in various species, there has been no specific analysis targeting <i>B. semperflorens</i>. In this study, we identified 37 members of the <i>BsHSF</i> gene family in <i>B. semperflorens</i> based on its genome scaffold, which are unevenly distributed across the genome. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that these 37 members can be divided into three subfamilies. Analysis of their physicochemical properties shows significant diversity among these proteins. Except for the BsHSFB7 protein located in the cytoplasm, all other BsHSF proteins were found to be nuclear-localized. A comparison of the amino acid sequences indicates that all BsHSF proteins contain a conserved DNA-binding domain structure. Analysis of the promoter cis-acting elements also suggests that <i>BsHSFs</i> may be associated with heat stress and plant secondary metabolism. We further investigated the duplication events of <i>BsHSF</i> genes and their collinearity with genes from other Begonia species. Finally, through real-time quantitative PCR, we examined the expression patterns of the 37 <i>BsHSFs</i> in different plant tissues (roots, stems, leaves, and flowers) and their expression levels under heat stress treatment. The results show that, except for <i>BsHSF29</i>, all <i>BsHSFs</i> were expressed in various tissues, with varying expression levels across tissues. Except for <i>BsHSF33</i> and <i>BsHSF34</i>, the expression levels of almost all <i>BsHSF</i> genes increased in response to heat treatment. In summary, these findings provide a better understanding of the role and regulatory mechanisms of HSFs in the heat stress response of <i>B. semperflorens</i> and lay the foundation for further exploration of the biological functions of <i>BsHSFs</i> in the stress responses of <i>B. semperflorens</i>.
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spelling doaj-art-611c49e8e0ea46459818c5467e5fab4d2025-08-20T02:24:29ZengMDPI AGCurrent Issues in Molecular Biology1467-30371467-30452025-05-0147639810.3390/cimb47060398Genome-Wide Characterization of the Heat Shock Transcription Factor Gene Family in <i>Begonia semperflorens</i> Reveals Promising Candidates for Heat ToleranceZhirou Liu0Nan Lin1Qirui Wang2Enkai Xu3Kaiming Zhang4College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450046, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture and Art, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China<i>Begonia semperflorens</i> (<i>B. semperflorens</i>) is a popular ornamental plant widely used in landscapes such as plazas and flower beds, and it is also commonly grown as a potted plant indoors. It is known for its adaptability to high temperatures, drought, and shade. Under heat-tolerant conditions, heat shock transcription factors (HSFs) are key transcriptional regulatory proteins that play crucial roles in cellular processes. Despite extensive studies on the <i>HSF</i> family in various species, there has been no specific analysis targeting <i>B. semperflorens</i>. In this study, we identified 37 members of the <i>BsHSF</i> gene family in <i>B. semperflorens</i> based on its genome scaffold, which are unevenly distributed across the genome. Phylogenetic analysis reveals that these 37 members can be divided into three subfamilies. Analysis of their physicochemical properties shows significant diversity among these proteins. Except for the BsHSFB7 protein located in the cytoplasm, all other BsHSF proteins were found to be nuclear-localized. A comparison of the amino acid sequences indicates that all BsHSF proteins contain a conserved DNA-binding domain structure. Analysis of the promoter cis-acting elements also suggests that <i>BsHSFs</i> may be associated with heat stress and plant secondary metabolism. We further investigated the duplication events of <i>BsHSF</i> genes and their collinearity with genes from other Begonia species. Finally, through real-time quantitative PCR, we examined the expression patterns of the 37 <i>BsHSFs</i> in different plant tissues (roots, stems, leaves, and flowers) and their expression levels under heat stress treatment. The results show that, except for <i>BsHSF29</i>, all <i>BsHSFs</i> were expressed in various tissues, with varying expression levels across tissues. Except for <i>BsHSF33</i> and <i>BsHSF34</i>, the expression levels of almost all <i>BsHSF</i> genes increased in response to heat treatment. In summary, these findings provide a better understanding of the role and regulatory mechanisms of HSFs in the heat stress response of <i>B. semperflorens</i> and lay the foundation for further exploration of the biological functions of <i>BsHSFs</i> in the stress responses of <i>B. semperflorens</i>.https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/47/6/398<i>Begonia semperflorens</i><i>HSF</i> gene familybioinformaticsexpression pattern analysistranscription factor
spellingShingle Zhirou Liu
Nan Lin
Qirui Wang
Enkai Xu
Kaiming Zhang
Genome-Wide Characterization of the Heat Shock Transcription Factor Gene Family in <i>Begonia semperflorens</i> Reveals Promising Candidates for Heat Tolerance
Current Issues in Molecular Biology
<i>Begonia semperflorens</i>
<i>HSF</i> gene family
bioinformatics
expression pattern analysis
transcription factor
title Genome-Wide Characterization of the Heat Shock Transcription Factor Gene Family in <i>Begonia semperflorens</i> Reveals Promising Candidates for Heat Tolerance
title_full Genome-Wide Characterization of the Heat Shock Transcription Factor Gene Family in <i>Begonia semperflorens</i> Reveals Promising Candidates for Heat Tolerance
title_fullStr Genome-Wide Characterization of the Heat Shock Transcription Factor Gene Family in <i>Begonia semperflorens</i> Reveals Promising Candidates for Heat Tolerance
title_full_unstemmed Genome-Wide Characterization of the Heat Shock Transcription Factor Gene Family in <i>Begonia semperflorens</i> Reveals Promising Candidates for Heat Tolerance
title_short Genome-Wide Characterization of the Heat Shock Transcription Factor Gene Family in <i>Begonia semperflorens</i> Reveals Promising Candidates for Heat Tolerance
title_sort genome wide characterization of the heat shock transcription factor gene family in i begonia semperflorens i reveals promising candidates for heat tolerance
topic <i>Begonia semperflorens</i>
<i>HSF</i> gene family
bioinformatics
expression pattern analysis
transcription factor
url https://www.mdpi.com/1467-3045/47/6/398
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