Genome-wide identification and characterization of GATA family genes in wheat

Transcription factors GATAs were a member of zinc finger protein, which could bind DNA regulatory regions to control expression of target genes, thus influencing plant growth and development either in normal condition or environmental stresses. Recently, GATA genes have been found and functionally characterized in a number of plant species. However, little information of GATA genes were annotated in wheat. In the current study, 79 GATA genes were identified in wheat, which were unevenly located on 21 chromosomes. According to the analysis of phylogenetic tree and functional domain structures, TaGATAs were classified into four subfamilies (I, II, III, and IV), consist of 35, 21, 12, and 11 genes, respectively. Meanwhile, the amino acids of 79 TaGATAs exhibited apparent difference in four subfamilies according to GATA domains comparison, gene structures and conserved motif analysis. We then analyze the gene duplication and synteny between the genomes of wheat and Arabidopsis, rice and barley, which provided insights into evolutionary characteristics. In addition, expression patterns of TaGATAs were analyzed, and they showed obvious difference in diverse tissues and abiotic stresses. In general, these results provide useful information for future TaGATA gene function analysis, and it helps to better understand molecular breeding and stress response in wheat.