Genome-wide identification and analysis of analysis of BURP genes in Triticum aestivum

Plant-specific BURP genes are involved in most aspects of plant development and in diverse stress responses. However, there has been no comprehensive and systematic research on the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) BURP gene family. We comprehensively identified 54 BURP genes in wheat and 12, 23, and 32 BURP genes, respectively, in its three progenitor species, Triticum urartu, Aegilops tauschii, and Triticum dicoccoides. By phylogenetic analysis, we classified the wheat BURP genes into five subfamilies: BURP VI, BURP VII, RD22-like, PG1{beta}-like, and the newly defined BURP VIII. BURP genes were distributed unevenly on 20 chromosomes, and 33 (61%) were anchored in the distal chromosome segments. Analysis of gene duplication events showed that segmental duplication was the main contributor to the expansion of this gene family in wheat. Assessment of tissue-specific and stress-induced expression indicated that most BURP members are heavily involved in plant development and responses to various stress conditions. RNA-seq data revealed ten TaBURP genes expressed specifically in spikes.