Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) is the most widely cultivated leguminous herb in the world. Its agricultural development has been restricted by various adverse environmental conditions, including water deficiency, high salinity, and low temperature. WRKY transcription factors (TFs) serve important roles in the regulation of plant development and stress responses. Research on the WRKY gene family has been reported for several species, but minimal information is available for alfalfa. In the present study, a total of 107 WRKY genes were identified in alfalfa and divided into 3 main groups. The classification, evolution, conserved motifs, and tissue expression were comprehensively analyzed. Meanwhile, 27 MsWRKY candidate genes that may be involved in abiotic stress were isolated through an analysis of gene expression profiles under different stresses, including cold, abscisic acid, drought, and salt treatments. Additionally, investigation of the cis-elements and potential biological functions of these genes further revealed that MsWRKY TFs may serve important roles in multiple stress resistance in alfalfa. This study provides an important foundation for future cloning and functional studies of WRKY genes in alfalfa.

中文翻译：

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苜蓿 WRKY 转录因子：非生物胁迫下的全基因组鉴定和表达分析


苜蓿（ Medicago sativa L.）是世界上种植最广泛的豆科草本植物。其农业发展受到缺水、高盐、低温等多种不利环境条件的制约。 WRKY 转录因子 (TF) 在植物发育和胁迫反应的调节中发挥重要作用。 WRKY 基因家族的研究已针对多个物种进行了报道，但有关苜蓿的信息很少。在本研究中，在苜蓿中总共鉴定了 107 个WRKY基因，分为 3 个主要组。全面分析了分类、进化、保守基序和组织表达。同时，通过分析不同胁迫（包括寒冷、脱落酸、干旱和盐处理）下的基因表达谱，分离出27个可能参与非生物胁迫的MsWRKY候选基因。此外，对这些基因的顺式元件和潜在生物学功能的研究进一步表明，MsWRKY TFs可能在苜蓿的多重胁迫抗性中发挥重要作用。该研究为今后苜蓿WRKY基因的克隆和功能研究提供了重要基础。