Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of MYB transcription factors in Artemisia argyi

Abstract Artemisia argyi is a critical medical plant in China, containing high levels of essential oils and flavone, and has been used to maintain health and well-being. MYB transcription factors are the largest gene family in plants and are widely reported to play important roles in development, metabolism, defense, and stress resistance. However, the MYB family of Artemisia argyi has not been systematically examined. In our study, we characterized 227 AYMYB transcription factors from Artemisia argyi genome data, containing 22 AY1R-MYB, 165 AYR2R3-MYB, 16 AY3R-MYB, 5 AY4R-MYB, and 19 Atypical AYMYB members. Protein molecular characteristics, prediction of subcellular localization, and chromosomal localization were accomplished using various bioinformatics tools. Collinearity analysis revealed that duplication events might greatly contribute to the MYB gene family expansion. The protein motifs, conserved domains, and gene structures of AYMYBs were identified, indicating that most AYMYB genes had similar gene distribution, which clustered in the same group that might have similar functions throughout these gene members. Cis-acting elements and GO analysis identified that AYMYBs participate in many biological processes associated with development, metabolism, defense, and stress resistance. Moreover, transcriptomic data elucidated that MYB genes were widely distributed across various tissues and development stages and highly expressed under MeJA treatment. The quantitative real-time qRT-PCR characterized the expression patterns that were aligned with the transcriptomic data, confirming the reliability of the data. Our research offers useful information for subsequent functional analysis of the MYB gene family in Artemisia argyi.