Abstract:
Auxin response factor (ARF) is an important transcription factor for auxin signal transduction pathway, which regulates virtually every aspect of plant growth and development from embryogenesis to senescence. Nine full-length genes of ARF transcription factors were obtained from transcriptome dataset of
Scutellaria baicalensis Georgi using the bioinformatics methods. The nucleotide and protein characteristics, subcellular localization, senior structural domains and conservative forecasts of those ARF transcription factors were analyzed. The phylogenetic tree showed that the nine ARFs in
S. baicalensis were clustered together with ARF transcription factors in
Arabidopsis thaliana, Oryza sativa subsp. Japonica and
Nicotiana attenuate. The results of gene expression showed that:① The expression levels of
ARF1, ARF3, ARF4, ARF8, ARF20 and
ARF24 were upregulated after 100 μmol·L
-1 GA
3 treatment. However, the expression levels of
ARF6 and
ARF18 were downregulated; ② Those
ARF genes were mainly expressed in the flowers of
S. baicalensis; ③ There was a significant correlation between
ARF genes and the genes involved in flavonoid biosynthesis. Our results provide a basis for further understanding the molecular regulation mechanism of flavonoid biosynthesis in
S. baicalensis.