Expression profiling of BSD domain-containing genes in apricot during different developmental stages

Abstract

Plant transcription factors are evolutionarily conserved proteins that play an important role in the transcriptional regulation of gene expression by binding to their specific DNA sequences. BSD (mammalian BTF2-like transcription factors, synapse-associated proteins, and DOS2-like proteins) transcription factors are conserved in various species, from protozoa to humans, and are characterized by a typical BSD domain. However, little information is available about their possible roles in plant growth and development, and to date, members of this transcription factor family have not been systematically identified and analyzed in apricot. In this study, two BSD domain-encoding genes were identified in the apricot genome. Expression profile analysis by RT-qPCR revealed that both genes participate in different developmental stages of three different organs in apricot. PaBSD1 was expressed higher than PaBSD2 only in the stamen. Moreover, PaBSD2 was higher expressed than PaBSD1 in four different fruit stages, young leaf, leaf bud, sepal and petal. This study reveals the critical roles of BSD transcription factors in apricot development, with PaBSD1 showing higher expression in stamen and PaBSD2 in various fruit stages and leaf tissues. These findings provide a foundation for future functional studies and apricot breeding programs.