Genome-Wide Analysis of MYB Genes in (Hance) and Identification of Members in Response to Drought Stress.

Due to periodic water deficiency in karst environments, experiences sporadic drought stress in its habitat. Despite being one of the largest gene families and functionally diverse in terms of plant growth and development, MYB transcription factors in have not been studied. Here, a total of 230 MYB genes were identified in , including 67 1R-MYB, 155 R2R3-MYB, six 3R-MYB, and two 4R-MYB genes. The R2R3-type genes could be classified into 16 subgroups, while the remaining genes (1R-MYB, 3R-MYB, and 4R-MYB genes) were divided into 10 subgroups. Notably, the results of the phylogenetic analysis were further supported by the motif and gene structure analysis, which showed that individuals in the same subgroup had comparable motif and structure organization. Additionally, gene duplication and synteny analyses were performed to better understand the evolution of genes, and 291 pairs of segmental duplicated genes were found. Moreover, RNA-seq analysis revealed that the genes could be divided into five groups based on their expression characteristics. Furthermore, 11 genes that may be involved in drought stress response were identified through comparative analysis with . Notably, seven of these genes (, , , , , , and ) exhibited significant differences in expression between the control and drought stress treatments, suggesting that they may play important roles in drought stress response. These findings clarified the characteristics of the MYB gene family in , augmenting our comprehension of their potential roles in drought stress adaptation.