Genome-Wide Identification of WRKY Gene Family in Angraecum sesquipedale and their Response to abiotic Stress

Genome-Wide Identification of WRKY Gene Family in Angraecum sesquipedale and their Response to abiotic Stress | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Genome-Wide Identification of WRKY Gene Family in Angraecum sesquipedale and their Response to abiotic Stress Chun Gu, Chao HU, Mengfan Wang, Shenshen Pang, Qingqing Liu, Ziyi Ni, and 8 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9494805/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract WRKY transcription factors are key regulators of plant stress responses, growth and development, and secondary metabolism. Angraecum sesquipedale has high ornamental value, but its growth is restricted by environmental stresses, and the functional roles of its WRKY genes under abiotic stress remain unclear. In this study, a total of 62 WRKY genes ( AsWRKYs ) were identified from the genome of A. sesquipedale . Their chromosome distribution, evolutionary driving force, phylogeny, gene structure and promoter cis-elements were analyzed, along with tissue-specific expression profiling. RNA-seq and qRT-PCR were used to detect their expression changes under cold stress. The results showed that AsWRKYs were unevenly distributed on 16 chromosomes and unchr155, segmental duplication was the main driving force for the expansion of the AsWRKY family, and they could be divided into three evolutionary groups. The promoters contained a large number of hormone- and abiotic stress-responsive cis-elements. 17 AsWRKYs were upregulated to varying degrees under prolonged cold stress, among which 10 were upregulated more than 10-fold. This study provides a genomic basis for further functional verification of AsWRKY genes and supports the development of cold-resistant breeding strategies for A. sesquipedale . Angraecum sesquipedale WRKY gene family transcription factor cold stress Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files supplementaryfile.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 08 May, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 07 May, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 07 May, 2026 Editor invited by journal 29 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 29 Apr, 2026 First submitted to journal 29 Apr, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9494805","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":641608145,"identity":"5d73df73-bcea-4942-b02f-63189e58a380","order_by":0,"name":"Chun Gu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guizhou Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chun","middleName":"","lastName":"Gu","suffix":""},{"id":641608146,"identity":"b60ca2a2-b6d9-4f15-bdae-7d417aec7ead","order_by":1,"name":"Chao HU","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Forestry and Grassland Administration","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Chao","middleName":"","lastName":"HU","suffix":""},{"id":641608147,"identity":"036f77b4-52c0-421e-b8f9-30365ae83dbe","order_by":2,"name":"Mengfan Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Forestry and Grassland Administration","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Mengfan","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":641608148,"identity":"6622dae0-1fc2-48b4-bbbc-a33367d1b753","order_by":3,"name":"Shenshen Pang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Shanghai Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Shenshen","middleName":"","lastName":"Pang","suffix":""},{"id":641608149,"identity":"c8f8414d-73cf-4d5d-bcec-87470216be28","order_by":4,"name":"Qingqing Liu","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Forestry and Grassland Administration","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Qingqing","middleName":"","lastName":"Liu","suffix":""},{"id":641608150,"identity":"f96f9e45-9f8e-48ec-a5d5-c7276c06d1b5","order_by":5,"name":"Ziyi Ni","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Forestry and Grassland Administration","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Ziyi","middleName":"","lastName":"Ni","suffix":""},{"id":641608151,"identity":"fbfdd8c7-231a-4344-ad11-dfc90d031b1d","order_by":6,"name":"Yanping Gao","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Forestry and Grassland Administration","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yanping","middleName":"","lastName":"Gao","suffix":""},{"id":641608152,"identity":"2c70934c-6e10-44a3-b7db-ad488f5e78d2","order_by":7,"name":"Kai Jiang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Forestry and Grassland Administration","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Kai","middleName":"","lastName":"Jiang","suffix":""},{"id":641608153,"identity":"f08c75fe-3388-4663-8537-e09872e70f08","order_by":8,"name":"Maohong Zhang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Forestry and Grassland Administration","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Maohong","middleName":"","lastName":"Zhang","suffix":""},{"id":641608154,"identity":"e6f58ca4-12c7-4ba5-8ce3-088831ab5d60","order_by":9,"name":"Qiaoning Ren","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Forestry and Grassland Administration","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Qiaoning","middleName":"","lastName":"Ren","suffix":""},{"id":641608155,"identity":"cc8e5c90-dfbd-4adf-92ad-df393c6210e1","order_by":10,"name":"Yunqi Song","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guizhou Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yunqi","middleName":"","lastName":"Song","suffix":""},{"id":641608156,"identity":"fc150ed6-0955-4aaa-99aa-94c5f4029a59","order_by":11,"name":"Renfu Pan","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"National Forestry and Grassland Administration","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Renfu","middleName":"","lastName":"Pan","suffix":""},{"id":641608157,"identity":"2f450542-b60c-45a1-85b6-155c97f041fc","order_by":12,"name":"Tao Peng","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"Guizhou Normal University","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Tao","middleName":"","lastName":"Peng","suffix":""},{"id":641608158,"identity":"9d1ae636-f421-487f-9954-52a2c32f75f8","order_by":13,"name":"Weichang Huang","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBACAyjNwyABoiqAGMhgJkHLGRK0gFUyMLYRocVcIvnZw69tNjL8s5uBjHl29ubS7Zc/FzDY5eHSYjkjzdxYti2NR+LOMSBjW3LizjlnyqRnMCQX43TYjQQzaclth3kMJMCMAwkGN3LSmHkYDiQ24NSS/g2o8j9QC4gx54A9UEvyZ/xacswkP247ANQCYjQcYNxwI/2ANF4tZ96USTP+S+aRuJFTJs1wLDlxw50zbNI8Bsm4tRxP3yb544ydPf8MEKPGzt7gdvvjzzwVdji1gADQsygMHgPk+MIKGH+gMtgf4Fc/CkbBKBgFIw0AAPI+WJoBp2asAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC","orcid":"","institution":"National Forestry and Grassland Administration","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Weichang","middleName":"","lastName":"Huang","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-04-22 10:25:21","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9494805/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9494805/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":109759816,"identity":"e6c46077-b0eb-48df-8514-ab330a686abf","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-22 07:27:45","extension":"pdf","order_by":1,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":953997,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9494805/v1_covered_7e966d8a-2580-4a46-b9b0-eae7da2fb2ae.pdf"},{"id":109461244,"identity":"7ac9f59c-8765-4a07-b09a-037b8880215c","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-05-18 10:59:10","extension":"docx","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"supplement","size":1562815,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"supplementaryfile.docx","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9494805/v1/24943b3bf479085794941cd8.docx"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Genome-Wide Identification of WRKY Gene Family in Angraecum sesquipedale and their Response to abiotic Stress","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-plant-biology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"pbio","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Plant Biology](http://bmcplantbiol.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/pbio/default.aspx","title":"BMC Plant Biology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Angraecum sesquipedale, WRKY gene family, transcription factor, cold stress","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9494805/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9494805/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eWRKY transcription factors are key regulators of plant stress responses, growth and development, and secondary metabolism. \u003cem\u003eAngraecum sesquipedale\u003c/em\u003e has high ornamental value, but its growth is restricted by environmental stresses, and the functional roles of its \u003cem\u003eWRKY\u003c/em\u003e genes under abiotic stress remain unclear. In this study, a total of 62 \u003cem\u003eWRKY\u003c/em\u003e genes (\u003cem\u003eAsWRKYs\u003c/em\u003e) were identified from the genome of \u003cem\u003eA. sesquipedale\u003c/em\u003e. Their chromosome distribution, evolutionary driving force, phylogeny, gene structure and promoter cis-elements were analyzed, along with tissue-specific expression profiling. RNA-seq and qRT-PCR were used to detect their expression changes under cold stress. The results showed that \u003cem\u003eAsWRKYs\u003c/em\u003e were unevenly distributed on 16 chromosomes and unchr155, segmental duplication was the main driving force for the expansion of the AsWRKY family, and they could be divided into three evolutionary groups. The promoters contained a large number of hormone- and abiotic stress-responsive cis-elements. 17 \u003cem\u003eAsWRKYs\u003c/em\u003e were upregulated to varying degrees under prolonged cold stress, among which 10 were upregulated more than 10-fold. This study provides a genomic basis for further functional verification of \u003cem\u003eAsWRKY\u003c/em\u003e genes and supports the development of cold-resistant breeding strategies for \u003cem\u003eA. sesquipedale\u003c/em\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Genome-Wide Identification of WRKY Gene Family in Angraecum sesquipedale and their Response to abiotic Stress","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-05-18 10:59:06","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9494805/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"11205446844792123727945656027304606496","date":"2026-05-08T04:55:48+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-05-07T18:28:29+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-05-07T18:27:22+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-29T14:49:56+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-04-29T05:08:13+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"BMC Plant Biology","date":"2026-04-29T05:03:07+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"bmc-plant-biology","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"pbio","sideBox":"Learn more about [BMC Plant Biology](http://bmcplantbiol.biomedcentral.com/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"https://www.editorialmanager.com/pbio/default.aspx","title":"BMC Plant Biology","twitterHandle":"BMC_series","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":false,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"BMC Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"d148c535-269a-4096-908a-f5b05562d3cb","owner":[],"postedDate":"May 18th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"11205446844792123727945656027304606496","date":"2026-05-08T04:55:48+00:00","index":37,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"10","date":"2026-05-07T18:28:29+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-05-07T18:27:22+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-05-18T10:59:06+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-05-18 10:59:06","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9494805","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9494805","identity":"rs-9494805","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}