title: Identification and expression profiles of the WRKY transcription factor family in Ricinus communis.
abstract: In plants, WRKY proteins constitute a large family of transcription factors. They are involved in many biological processes, such as plant development, metabolism, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. A large number of WRKY transcription factors have been reported from Arabidopsis, rice, and other higher plants. The recent publication of the draft genome sequence of castor bean (Ricinus communis) has allowed a genome-wide search for R. communis WRKY (RcWRKY) transcription factors and the comparison of these positively identified proteins with their homologs in model plants. A total of 47 WRKY genes were identified in the castor bean genome. According to the structural features of the WRKY domain, the RcWRKY are classified into seven main phylogenetic groups. Furthermore, putative orthologs of RcWRKY proteins in Arabidopsis and rice could now be assigned. An analysis of expression profiles of RcWRKY genes indicates that 47 WRKY genes display differential expressions either in their transcript abundance or expression patterns under normal growth conditions.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Resources of Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, Institute of Tropical Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China.
authors.forename: Hui-Liang
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Liang-Bo
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Chang-Zhu
authors.initials: CZ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shi-Qing
authors.initials: SQ
authors.lastname: Peng
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D002367:Ricinus communis / Q000235:genetics*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D005810:Multigene Family; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors