Qiaoying Pei;Tong Yu;Tong Wu;Qing Yang;Ke Gong;Rong Zhou;Chunlin Cui;Ying Yu;Wei Zhao;Xi Kang;Rui Cao;Xiaoming Son

Food Science and Technology Department, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska 68526, USA; School of Life Science and Technology and Center for Informational Biology, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, Chin;Department of Food Science, Aarhus University, Aarhus 8200, Denmark;College of Life Sciences, North China University of Science and Technology, Tangshan, Hebei 063210, China

Hsf gene family;Gene duplication and loss;Expression pattern;Apiacea

Apiaceae is a major family from Apiales and includes many important vegetable and medicinal crops. Heat shock transcription factors (Hsf) play important roles in heat tolerance during plant development. Here, we conducted systematic analyses of the Hsf gene family in three Apiaceae species, including 17 Apium graveolens (celery), 32 Coriandrum sativum (coriander), and 14 Daucus carota (carrot). A total of 73 Hsf genes were identified in three representative species, including Arabidopsis thaliana, Vitis vinifera, and Lactuca sativa. Whole-genome duplication played important roles in the Hsf gene family's expansion within Apiaceae. Interestingly, we found that coriander had more Hsf genes than celery and carrot due to greater expansion and fewer losses. Twenty-seven branches of the phylogenetic tree underwent considerable positive selection in these Apiaceae species. We also explored the expression patterns of Hsf genes in three plant organs. Collectively, this study will serve as a rich gene resource for exploring the molecular mechanisms of heat tolerance. Additionally, this is the first study to report on the Hsf gene family in Apiaceae; thus, our research will provide guidance for future comparative and functional genomic studies on the Hsf gene family and others in Apiaceae.