Environ Exp Biol (2019) 17: 201–208

Genome-wide analysis and expression profile of bZIPs transcription factor gene family in Ethiopian lowland bamboo (Oxytenanthera abyssinica) in response to osmotic and salt stress

Abstract

The basic leucine-region zipper (bZIP) transcription factors (TFs) are one of the largest TFs with significant roles in plant biological and developmental processes, and stress tolerance. Despite the important role of bZIPs in plants, genome-wide analysis and expression profiling under abiotic stress remain elusive in Oxytenanthera abyssinica. In this study, a total of 162 bZIP O. abyssinica TFs having the bZIP DNA binding domain (PF00170) were identified through genome-wide analysis. For the identified bZIPs, functional annotation, phylogenetic relationship and expression under osmotic and salt stress were investigated. The expression profile of the bZIP TFs revealed that the majority were highly responsive to osmotic and salt stress, as 99 of the 162 bZIP TFs were up-regulated. Metabolic pathway analysis revealed that environmental information processing and genetic information processing categories were the only represented pathways that revealed close association of bZIPs TFs with stress response. The study provided valuable information about the expression profile of bZIPs TFs associated with osmotic and salt stress, which could be used as a basis for further studies.