Identification and Expression Analysis of Wheat Genes.

The 14-3-3 gene family members play key roles in various cellular processes. However, little is known about the numbers and roles of 14-3-3 genes in wheat. The aims of this study were to identify numbers in wheat by searching its whole genome through blast, to study the phylogenetic relationships with other plant species and to discuss the functions of . The results showed that common wheat harbored 20 genes, located on wheat chromosome groups 2, 3, 4, and 7. Out of them, eighteen are non-ε proteins, and two wheat genes, and , are ε proteins. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that these genes were divided into six clusters: cluster 1 (, and ); cluster 2 (); cluster 3 (, and ); cluster 4 (, and ); cluster 5 ( and ); and cluster 6 (, and ). Tissue-specific gene expressions suggested that all were likely constitutively expressed, except two genes, i.e., and . And the highest amount of transcripts were observed in developing grains at 20 days post anthesis (DPA), especially for and After drought stress, five genes, i.e., , , , , and , were up-regulated expression under drought stress for both 1 and 6 h, suggesting these genes played vital role in combating against drought stress. However, all the were down-regulated expression under heat stress for both 1 and 6 h, indicating may be negatively associated with heat stress by reducing the expression to combat heat stress or through other pathways. These results suggested that cluster 1, e.g., , may participate in the whole wheat developing stages, e.g., grain-filling (starch biosynthesis) and may also participate in combating against drought stress. Subsequently, a homolog of , , were cloned by RACE and used to validate its function. Immunoblotting results showed that protein, closely related to , , and , can interact with AGP-L, SSI, SSII, SBEIIa, and SBEIIb in developing grains, suggesting that located on group 4 may be involved in starch biosynthesis. Therefore, it is possible to develop starch-rich wheat cultivars by modifying .