Identification and Characterization of Common Bean OFP Gene Family Under Environmental Stresses

The OVATE FAMILY PROTEIN (OFP) is a remarkable class of plant-specific transcription factors essential for plant growth and development. Common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), the most commonly cultivated legume, was the focus of this study to evaluate the expression of OVATE genes in response to salt and drought stress, along with a genome-wide analysis of the OVATE gene family using bioinformatics tools. The study also involves comprehensive bioinformatics analyses to identify the 22 members of the Pvul-OFP gene family's conserved domains, chromosomal locations, evolutionary relationships, genetic structures, and expression patterns. Additionally, the expression levels of OFP genes in plants treated with melatonin, which has an antioxidant effect against salt and drought stress, were examined using qRT-PCR. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Pvul-OFP genes are similar to OFP gene families found in Arabidopsis thaliana and Glycine max. Moreover, segmental duplication was detected between Pvul-OFP gene pairs. In addition, while the Pvul-OFP-2 gene had the highest expression level under salt stress, the highest expression level was determined in the Pvul-OFP-22 gene under drought stress. Moreover, it was determined that the expression levels of Pvul-OFP-7 and Pvul-OFP-20 genes did not change in both stress groups compared to the control group. The qRT-PCR results showed significant changes in the expression levels of OFP genes across different varieties and in shoot tissue. This comprehensive analysis will aid future studies associated with the functional validation of OFP genes and contribute to developing cultivars resistant to stress conditions.