Genome-Wide Characterization and Functional Analysis of <i>CsDOF</i> Transcription Factors in <i>Camellia sinensis</i> cv. Tieguanyin Under Combined Heat–Drought Stress

Tieguanyin tea, celebrated as one of China’s top ten famous teas, is highly regarded for its unique flavor and taste. However, recent intensification of global warming has escalated the occurrence of abiotic stresses, posing significant threats to the growth, development, yield, and quality of Tiegu...

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Main Authors: Yingxin Wen, Cunyi Tan, Yujie Zhang, Hua Wu, Dian Chen, Heng Yue, Zekai Ding, Shijiang Cao, Kehui Zheng
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Plants
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/12/1829
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author Yingxin Wen
Cunyi Tan
Yujie Zhang
Hua Wu
Dian Chen
Heng Yue
Zekai Ding
Shijiang Cao
Kehui Zheng
author_facet Yingxin Wen
Cunyi Tan
Yujie Zhang
Hua Wu
Dian Chen
Heng Yue
Zekai Ding
Shijiang Cao
Kehui Zheng
author_sort Yingxin Wen
collection DOAJ
description Tieguanyin tea, celebrated as one of China’s top ten famous teas, is highly regarded for its unique flavor and taste. However, recent intensification of global warming has escalated the occurrence of abiotic stresses, posing significant threats to the growth, development, yield, and quality of Tieguanyin tea plants. DOF (DNA-binding one zinc finger protein), a plant-specific transcription factor, plays a critical role in plant development and stress response. In this study, we identified and analyzed 58 <i>CsDOF</i> genes across the whole genome, which were found to be randomly and unevenly distributed across 15 chromosomes. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using <i>DOF</i> genes from <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> and Tieguanyin, categorizing these genes into 10 subgroups. Collinearity analysis revealed homologous gene pairs between <i>CsDOF</i> and <i>OsDOF</i>(19 pairs), <i>StDOF</i> (101 pairs), and <i>ZmDOF</i> (24 pairs). Cis-acting element analysis indicated that <i>CsDOF</i> genes contain elements related to both stress and hormone responses. Heat map analysis demonstrated that subfamily C2 predominantly regulates the growth and development of roots, stems, and leaves in Tieguanyin. Tertiary structure analysis of CsDOF proteins revealed diverse structures, underscoring the functional variability within the <i>CsDOF</i> gene family. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis was employed to assess the expression profiles of 13 <i>CsDOF</i> genes under high-temperature and drought conditions. Notably, <i>CsDOF51</i> and <i>CsDOF12</i> exhibited significant expression changes under drought and high-temperature stress, respectively, while <i>CsDOF44</i> showed significant changes under both conditions. This study provides foundational knowledge of the <i>CsDOF</i> gene family and offers novel insights for enhancing the drought and heat tolerance of Tieguanyin tea.
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spelling doaj-art-9574f76d8d464ac2945fb24cf852bf292025-08-20T03:29:51ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-06-011412182910.3390/plants14121829Genome-Wide Characterization and Functional Analysis of <i>CsDOF</i> Transcription Factors in <i>Camellia sinensis</i> cv. Tieguanyin Under Combined Heat–Drought StressYingxin Wen0Cunyi Tan1Yujie Zhang2Hua Wu3Dian Chen4Heng Yue5Zekai Ding6Shijiang Cao7Kehui Zheng8College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaCollege of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaCollege of Horticulture, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaCollege of Food Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaCollege of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaCollege of Computer and Information Sciences, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350002, ChinaTieguanyin tea, celebrated as one of China’s top ten famous teas, is highly regarded for its unique flavor and taste. However, recent intensification of global warming has escalated the occurrence of abiotic stresses, posing significant threats to the growth, development, yield, and quality of Tieguanyin tea plants. DOF (DNA-binding one zinc finger protein), a plant-specific transcription factor, plays a critical role in plant development and stress response. In this study, we identified and analyzed 58 <i>CsDOF</i> genes across the whole genome, which were found to be randomly and unevenly distributed across 15 chromosomes. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using <i>DOF</i> genes from <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> and Tieguanyin, categorizing these genes into 10 subgroups. Collinearity analysis revealed homologous gene pairs between <i>CsDOF</i> and <i>OsDOF</i>(19 pairs), <i>StDOF</i> (101 pairs), and <i>ZmDOF</i> (24 pairs). Cis-acting element analysis indicated that <i>CsDOF</i> genes contain elements related to both stress and hormone responses. Heat map analysis demonstrated that subfamily C2 predominantly regulates the growth and development of roots, stems, and leaves in Tieguanyin. Tertiary structure analysis of CsDOF proteins revealed diverse structures, underscoring the functional variability within the <i>CsDOF</i> gene family. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis was employed to assess the expression profiles of 13 <i>CsDOF</i> genes under high-temperature and drought conditions. Notably, <i>CsDOF51</i> and <i>CsDOF12</i> exhibited significant expression changes under drought and high-temperature stress, respectively, while <i>CsDOF44</i> showed significant changes under both conditions. This study provides foundational knowledge of the <i>CsDOF</i> gene family and offers novel insights for enhancing the drought and heat tolerance of Tieguanyin tea.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/12/1829teaTieguanyinDOFgene familyabiotic stressexpression analysis
spellingShingle Yingxin Wen
Cunyi Tan
Yujie Zhang
Hua Wu
Dian Chen
Heng Yue
Zekai Ding
Shijiang Cao
Kehui Zheng
Genome-Wide Characterization and Functional Analysis of <i>CsDOF</i> Transcription Factors in <i>Camellia sinensis</i> cv. Tieguanyin Under Combined Heat–Drought Stress
Plants
tea
Tieguanyin
DOF
gene family
abiotic stress
expression analysis
title Genome-Wide Characterization and Functional Analysis of <i>CsDOF</i> Transcription Factors in <i>Camellia sinensis</i> cv. Tieguanyin Under Combined Heat–Drought Stress
title_full Genome-Wide Characterization and Functional Analysis of <i>CsDOF</i> Transcription Factors in <i>Camellia sinensis</i> cv. Tieguanyin Under Combined Heat–Drought Stress
title_fullStr Genome-Wide Characterization and Functional Analysis of <i>CsDOF</i> Transcription Factors in <i>Camellia sinensis</i> cv. Tieguanyin Under Combined Heat–Drought Stress
title_full_unstemmed Genome-Wide Characterization and Functional Analysis of <i>CsDOF</i> Transcription Factors in <i>Camellia sinensis</i> cv. Tieguanyin Under Combined Heat–Drought Stress
title_short Genome-Wide Characterization and Functional Analysis of <i>CsDOF</i> Transcription Factors in <i>Camellia sinensis</i> cv. Tieguanyin Under Combined Heat–Drought Stress
title_sort genome wide characterization and functional analysis of i csdof i transcription factors in i camellia sinensis i cv tieguanyin under combined heat drought stress
topic tea
Tieguanyin
DOF
gene family
abiotic stress
expression analysis
url https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/12/1829
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