Genome wide identification and expression pattern analysis of B3 gene family in maize

The B3 gene superfamily is a unique plant transcription factor family that plays an important role in plant growth, development, and stress response. In order to explore the basic information of B3 gene family in maize (Zea mays) and its biological functions in growth, development and stress, this study identified and analyzed the whole genome B3 family members and related information, and analyzed the tissue-specific expression of B3 gene family and its response to stress based on transcriptome data. The tissue specific expression of the B3 gene family and the expression pattern under stress were analyzed based on transcriptome data. Eighty-eight B3 gene family members containing B3 domains were identified in maize, and these were divided into five subfamilies: ABI, ARF, HSI, RAV, and REM. Members within the same subfamily had similar gene structures and the number and type of conservative motifs. Additionally, we discovered that the promoter regions of B3 genes were rich in functional elements that responded to hormones and stress factors. The tissue specific expression analysis results showed that most of the B3 genes were predominantly expressed in the meristem. The analysis of the expression patterns of the B3 family members under cold, heat, salt, UV, and drought stress showed that five subfamily members participated in responses to these conditions, and all members of the HSI subfamily were involved in the response to the UV stress factor. These results elucidate the distribution, structure and phylogenetic characteristics of the B3 gene family in the whole genome of maize, and preliminarily speculate that the B3 gene family plays an important role in growth and development and stress response based on the transcriptome data of maize, providing data basis for further study of the function and molecular mechanism of B3 gene family in maize.