Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Analysis of Wall-Associated Kinase (WAK) Gene Family in L

Wall-associated kinases (WAKs) are receptors that bind pectin or small pectic fragments in the cell wall and play roles in cell elongation and pathogen response. In the (Cs) genome, 53 CsWAK/CsWAKL (WAK-like) protein family members were identified and characterized; their amino acid lengths and molecular weights varied from 582 to 983, and from 65.6 to 108.8 kDa, respectively. They were classified into four main groups by a phylogenetic tree. Out of the 53 identified genes, 23 genes were unevenly distributed among six chromosomes. Two pairs of genes on chromosomes 4 and 7 have undergone duplication. The number of introns and exons among genes ranged from 1 to 6 and from 2 to 7, respectively. The promoter regions of 23 / possessed diverse cis-regulatory elements that are involved in light, development, environmental stress, and hormone responsiveness. The expression profiles indicated that our candidate genes () are expressed in leaf tissue. These genes exhibit different expression patterns than their homologs in other plant species. These initial findings are useful resources for further research work on the potential roles of CsWAK/CsWAKL in cellular signalling during development, environmental stress conditions, and hormone treatments.