Genome Wide Characterization, Identification And Expression Analysis OfErfGene Family In Cotton

ERF is a subfamily of AP2/EREBP superfamily, contained single AP2 domain. The overexpression of ERF genes steered to abiotic stress tolerance and pathogen resistance in transgenic plants. Here, a genome-wide analysis of ERF gene family within two diploid species ( G. arboreum & G. raimondii ) and two tetraploid species ( G. barbadense, G. hirsutum ) was performed. A total of 118, 120, 213, 220 genes contained sequence single AP2 domain were identified in G. arboreum , G. raimondii , G. barbadense and G. hirsutum respectively. The identified genes were unevenly distributed across 13/26 chromosomes of A and D genomes of cotton. Genome comparison revealed that segmental duplication may have played crucial roles in the expansion of the cotton ERF gene family, and tandem duplication also played a minor role. Analysis of RNA-Seq data indicated that cotton ERF gene expression levels varied across different tissues and in response to different abiotic stress. Overall, our results could provide valuable information for better understanding the evolution of cotton ERF genes and lays a foundation for future investigation in cotton.