Genome-Wide Identification of GAST Family Members and Their Potential Roles in Epicotyl Dormancy in Chinese Cork Oak ().

Chinese cork oak ( Blume) is a widespread tree species with high economic and ecological values. Chinese cork oak exhibits epicotyl dormancy, causing emergence heterogeneity and affecting the quality of seedling cultivation. Gibberellic acid-stimulated transcript (GAST) is a plant-specific protein family that plays a crucial regulatory role in plant growth, development, and seed germination. However, their evolution in Chinese cork oak and roles in epicotyl dormancy are still unclear. Here, a genome-wide identification of the gene family was conducted in Chinese cork oak. Ten genes were identified, and nine of them were expressed in seed. The physicochemical properties and promoter cis-acting elements of the selected Chinese cork oak family genes indicated that the cis-acting elements in the promoter are involved in plant development, hormone response, and stress response. Germinated seeds were subjected to gibberellins (GAs), abscisic acid (ABA), and fluridone treatments to show their response during epicotyl dormancy release. Significant changes in the expression of certain genes were observed under different hormone treatments. , , , and exhibited upregulation in response to gibberellin. was markedly upregulated during the release of epicotyl dormancy in response to GA. These findings suggested that might play an important role in epicotyl dormancy release. This study provides a basis for further analysis of the mechanisms underlying the alleviation of epicotyl dormancy in Chinese cork oak by genes.