title: Molecular evolution and expansion analysis of the NAC transcription factor in Zea mays.
abstract: NAC (NAM, ATAF1, 2 and CUC2) family is a plant-specific transcription factor and it controls various plant developmental processes. In the current study, 124 NAC members were identified in Zea mays and were phylogenetically clustered into 13 distinct subfamilies. The whole genome duplication (WGD), especially an additional WGD event, may lead to expanding ZmNAC members. Different subfamily has different expansion rate, and NAC subfamily preference was found during the expansion in maize. Moreover, the duplication events might occur after the divergence of the lineages of Z. mays and S. italica, and segmental duplication seemed to be the dominant pattern for the gene duplication in maize. Furthermore, the expansion of ZmNAC members may be also related to gain and loss of introns. Besides, the restriction of functional divergence was discovered after most of the gene duplication events. These results could provide novel insights into molecular evolution and expansion analysis of NAC family in maize, and advance the NAC researches in other plants, especially polyploid plants.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Kai
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Center for Molecular Cell and Systems Biology, College of Life Science, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miao
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Mi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Noreen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bibi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Shuna
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Crop Science, College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xuede
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D020440:Gene Duplication; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors