Genome-wide investigation and analysis of growth-regulating factor family in pineapple (Ananas comosus var. comosus)

Background: growth-regulating factors（GRFs）are plant-specific transcription factors that play an important role in plant growth and development, Although the GRF gene family has been identified in many species, a genome-wide analysis of this gene family in pineapple has not been reported. Results: : In this study, 8 pineapple GRF genes (AcGRF) were identified and renamed according to their chromosomal locations.8 AcGRFs were divided into three main families and subgroups based on their structural and phylogenetic characteristics. Genomic collinearity analysis found that segmental duplication played a more important role in the expansion of the pineapple GRF gene family. GRF gene collinearity analysis and phylogenetic analysis provide deeper insights into the evolutionary characteristics of pineapple GRF genes. Transcriptome data and real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed AcGRF gene expression patterns in various tissues and responses to different abiotic stresses and hormonal treatments. Conclusions: : In this study, 8 GRF genes were identified in pineapple, and their coding gene structures, evolutionary characteristics, and expression patterns were analyzed. This systematic analysis provides a basis for further identification of pineapple GRF gene function.