Genome-wide identification, expression, and regulation analysis of BEL1-like family genes in maize

Abstract

The BEL1-like family (BELL) proteins, that are ubiquitous homeodomain transcription factors among plant species, interact with KNOTTED1-like protein to regulate a range of developmental processes by binding specific cis-acting element to modulate gene expression. BELL family genes in maize still need to be studied systematically. Here, we identified 15 BELL family genes (ZmBELLs) in maize genome using the Hidden Markov Model (HMM). These ZmBELLs distributed non-uniformly in seven chromosomes of maize, were clustered into two groups on the basis of the similarity with their orthologs in Arabidopsis thaliana. Furthermore, these ZmBELLs exhibited different expression patterns in eight tissues studied, showing strong tissues-specific expression. Moreover, based on co-expression profiles and specific motif bound by BEL1-like protein, we predicted 86 genes showing co-expression pattern with 12 ZmBELLs in eight tissues studied and harboring specific motif bound by BEL1-like protein in the promoter region. The results could provide valuable informations for dissecting function and molecular mechanism of ZmBELLs in maize.