Genomic survey of bZIP transcription factor genes related to tanshinone biosynthesis in .

Tanshinones are a class of bioactive components in the traditional Chinese medicine , and their biosynthesis and regulation have been widely studied. Current studies show that basic leucine zipper (bZIP) proteins regulate plant secondary metabolism, growth and developmental processes. However, the bZIP transcription factors involved in tanshinone biosynthesis are unknown. Here, we conducted the first genome-wide survey of the bZIP gene family and analyzed the phylogeny, gene structure, additional conserved motifs and alternative splicing events in A total of 70 SmbZIP transcription factors were identified and categorized into 11 subgroups based on their phylogenetic relationships with those in . Moreover, seventeen genes underwent alternative splicing events. According to the transcriptomic data, the genes that were highly expressed in the Danshen root and periderm were selected. Based on the prediction of bZIP binding sites in the promoters and the co-expression analysis and co-induction patterns in response to Ag treatment quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), we concluded that and potentially participate in the regulation of tanshinone biosynthesis. These results provide a foundation for further functional characterization of the candidate genes, which have the potential to increase tanshinone production.