Transcriptome-Wide identification and characterization of regulatory landscape of NAC Genes in Drimia indica.

Abstract Drimia indica, a medicinal plant with promising therapeutic potential, aimed to understand the role of the NAC gene family in plant development and stress responses to enhance its medicinal properties and agronomic traits. We identified and characterized sixty-one non-redundant putative NAC genes, analyzing their physicochemical properties, which exhibited variations in amino acid composition, length, molecular weight, and isoelectric points. Subcellular localization prediction revealed diverse protein distributions, mainly within the nucleus. Phylogenetic analysis classified the NAC genes into 17 subgroups, showing distribution differences between Drimia indica and Arabidopsis. Gene structure analysis unveiled a conserved intron-exon organization within each subfamily. Motif analysis identified ten conserved motifs, with 'Motif 5' being the most prevalent. Promoter analysis detected cis-elements responsive to light, abscisic acid, methyl jasmonate, and MYB transcription factors. Additionally, transcription factor binding site analysis revealed several families potentially regulating NAC gene expression. MiRNA target analysis highlighted the significant role of miRNAs in the post-transcriptional regulation of NAC genes. Our findings offer valuable insights into the structural characteristics, regulatory mechanisms, and potential functions of the NAC gene family in Drimia indica, advancing our understanding of plant stress responses and suggesting future research avenues for stress tolerance and secondary metabolite production.