title: Transcriptome-wide identification and expression profiles of the WRKY transcription factor family in Broomcorn millet (Panicum miliaceum L.).
abstract: WRKY genes, as the most pivotal transcription factors in plants, play the indispensable roles in regulating various physiological processes, including plant growth and development as well as in response to stresses. Broomcorn millet is one of the most important crops in drought areas worldwide. However, the WRKY gene family in broomcorn millet remains unknown.
  
  
  
  A total of 32 PmWRKY genes were identified in this study using computational prediction method. Structural analysis found that PmWRKY proteins contained a highly conserved motif WRKYGQK and two common variant motifs, namely WRKYGKK and WRKYGEK. Phylogenetic analysis of PmWRKYs together with the homologous genes from the representative species could classify them into three groups, with the number of 1, 15, and 16, respectively. Finally, the transcriptional profiles of these 32 PmWRKY genes in various tissues or under different abiotic stresses were systematically investigated using qRT-PCR analysis. Results showed that the expression level of 22 PmWRKY genes varied significantly under one or more abiotic stress treatments, which could be defined as abiotic stress-responsive genes.
  
  
  
  This was the first study to identify the organization and transcriptional profiles of PmWRKY genes, which not only facilitates the functional analysis of the PmWRKY genes, and also lays the foundation to reveal the molecular mechanism of stress tolerance in this important crop.
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Siyan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Xianghong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. sweining2002@yahoo.com.|State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. sweining2002@yahoo.com.|Yangling Branch of China Wheat Improvement Center, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. sweining2002@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Weining
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Northwest A&F University, 3 Taicheng Road, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. small@nwsuaf.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaojun
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Nie
mesh_terms: D020816:Amino Acid Motifs; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D019295:Computational Biology / Q000379:methods; D017124:Conserved Sequence; D030561:Databases, Nucleic Acid; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D058977:Molecular Sequence Annotation; D005810:Multigene Family; D009928:Organ Specificity; D008897:Panicum / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D059467:Transcriptome
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Abiotic stress; Broomcorn millet; WRKY; qRT-PCR