Genome-Wide Identification of the Q-type C2H2 Transcription Factor Family in Alfalfa ( Medicago sativa ) and Expression Analysis under Different Abiotic Stresses.

Q-type C2H2 zinc-finger protein (C2H2-ZFP) transcription factors are associated with many plant growth development and environmental stress responses. To date, there have been few analyses of the Q-type C2H2-ZFP gene family in alfalfa ( Medicago sativa subsp. sativa ). In this study, we identified 58 Q-type C2H2-ZFP s across the entire alfalfa genome, and the gene structure, motif composition, chromosomal mapping, and cis -regulatory elements were explored, as well as the expression profiles of specific tissues and the response under different abiotic stresses. According to their phylogenetic features, these 58 MsZFP s were divided into 12 subgroups. Synteny analysis showed that duplication events play a vital role in the expansion of the MsZFP gene family. The collinearity results showed that a total of 26 and 42 of the 58 MsZFP genes were homologous with Arabidopsis and M. truncatula , respectively. The expression profiles showed that C2H2-ZFP genes played various roles in different tissues and abiotic stresses. The results of subsequent quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) showed that the nine selected MsZFP genes were rapidly induced under different abiotic stresses, indicating that C2H2-ZFP genes are closely related to abiotic stress. This study provides results on MsZFP genes, their response to various abiotic stresses, and new information on the C2H2 family in alfalfa.