Molecular characterization of nine sweet potato (<i>Ipomoea batatas</i> Lam.) <scp>MADS</scp>‐box transcription factors during storage root development and following abiotic stress

Abstract

Abstract Sweet potato is an important plant for researchers to study storage root development and resistance. MADS ‐box proteins are a group of important transcription factors which play a crucial role in plant development as well as stress response. However, the investigation regarding sweet potato MADS ‐box genes remains limited up to now. In this study, nine MADS ‐box genes, named as Ib MBP 1˜Ib MBP 9 , were cloned and characterized. Nine genes exhibited different tissue‐specific expression profiles. Ib MBP 2 , Ib MBP 3 , Ib MBP 4 and Ib MBP 9 showed high expression during storage roots development and were upregulated by storage roots development‐related hormones. Varying degrees of induction was observed in the transcript level of these MADS ‐box genes under multiple abiotic stresses, as well as stress‐related hormones. The present results revealed that nine MADS ‐box genes exhibited different tissue‐specific expression profiles and were impacted by multiple abiotic stresses and/or hormones, which lay a good foundation for further exploring the function of MADS ‐box genes in sweet potato.