title: Insight into the AP2/ERF transcription factor superfamily in sesame and expression profiling of DREB subfamily under drought stress.
abstract: Sesame is an important oilseed crop mainly grown in inclement areas with high temperatures and frequent drought. Thus, drought constitutes one of the major constraints of its production. The AP2/ERF is a large family of transcription factors known to play significant roles in various plant processes including biotic and abiotic stress responses. Despite their importance, little is known about sesame AP2/ERF genes. This constitutes a limitation for drought-tolerance candidate genes discovery and breeding for tolerance to water deficit.
  
  
  
  One hundred thirty-two AP2/ERF genes were identified in the sesame genome. Based on the number of domains, conserved motifs, genes structure and phylogenetic analysis including 5 relatives species, they were classified into 24 AP2, 41 DREB, 61 ERF, 4 RAV and 2 Soloist. The number of sesame AP2/ERF genes was relatively few compared to that of other relatives, probably due to gene loss in ERF and DREB subfamilies during evolutionary process. In general, the AP2/ERF genes were expressed differently in different tissues but exhibited the highest expression levels in the root. Mostly all DREB genes were responsive to drought stress. Regulation by drought is not specific to one DREB group but depends on the genes and the group A6 and A1 appeared to be more actively expressed to cope with drought.
  
  
  
  This study provides insights into the classification, evolution and basic functional analysis of AP2/ERF genes in sesame which revealed their putative involvement in multiple tissue-/developmental stages. Out of 20 genes which were significantly up- /down-regulated under drought stress, the gene AP2si16 may be considered as potential candidate gene for further functional validation as well for utilization in sesame improvement programs for drought stress tolerance.
authors.affiliation: Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, No.2 Xudong 2nd Road, 430062, Wuhan, Hubei, China.|Centre d'Etudes Régional pour l'Amélioration de l'Adaptation à la Sécheresse (CERAAS), BP 3320 Route de Khombole, Thiès, Sénégal.|Laboratoire Campus de Biotechnologies Végétales, Département de Biologie Végétale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, BP 5005 Dakar-Fann, Code postal 107000, Dakar, Sénégal.
authors.forename: Komivi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dossa
authors.affiliation: Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, No.2 Xudong 2nd Road, 430062, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, No.2 Xudong 2nd Road, 430062, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Donghua
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Etudes Régional pour l'Amélioration de l'Adaptation à la Sécheresse (CERAAS), BP 3320 Route de Khombole, Thiès, Sénégal.|CIRAD, UMR AGAP, F-34398, Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Fonceka
authors.affiliation: Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, No.2 Xudong 2nd Road, 430062, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Yanxin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, No.2 Xudong 2nd Road, 430062, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Linhai
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, No.2 Xudong 2nd Road, 430062, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Jingyin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, No.2 Xudong 2nd Road, 430062, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
authors.forename: Liao
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Boshou
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire Campus de Biotechnologies Végétales, Département de Biologie Végétale, Faculté des Sciences et Techniques, Université Cheikh Anta Diop, BP 5005 Dakar-Fann, Code postal 107000, Dakar, Sénégal.
authors.forename: Diaga
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Diouf
authors.affiliation: Centre d'Etudes Régional pour l'Amélioration de l'Adaptation à la Sécheresse (CERAAS), BP 3320 Route de Khombole, Thiès, Sénégal.
authors.forename: Ndiaga
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cissé
authors.affiliation: Oil Crops Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Oil Crops, Ministry of Agriculture, No.2 Xudong 2nd Road, 430062, Wuhan, Hubei, China. zhangxr@oilcrops.cn.
authors.forename: Xiurong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D055864:Droughts; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D031685:Sesamum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050656:Transcription Factor AP-2 / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D050656:Transcription Factor AP-2; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: AP2/ERF; Drought stress; Gene expression; Sesamum indicum; Transcription factors