Abstract: Wheat is one of main cereal crops in the world. In this study, the WOX genes in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) were identified at the whole genome level using bioinformatic techniques, and phylogenetic and sequence analysis were carried out. The results showed that the wheat genome contained a total of 26 WOX genes, of which 20 had sequence information included in the Phytozome database, which could be divided into three sub-families. The WOX genes in each sub-family had similar gene structures and their intron phases were 0 or 1. The protein motifs of the WOX gene family Motif 1, Motif 2, Motif 5 and Motif 9 were relatively conserved, and Motif 1 and Motif 2 were presumed to be core motifs. The promoters of the WOX genes included ABRE, CAT-box, CGTCA-motif, RY-element and other elements, indicating that the wheat WOX gene might be involved in regulating the development of endosperm or seed, or the formation of meristem. TaWOX6, TaWOX8, TaWOX10 might be involved in the development of wheat ears and stalks. TaWOX15, TaWOX18 and TaWOX20 are highly expressed in wheat endosperm, whereas little expressed in other parts, indicating that these three genes are closely related to the formation and development of wheat endosperm. The results of this study laied a foundation for further exploration of function and molecular mechanism of the wheat WOX genes.
Key words: wheat; WOX; transcription factor; bioinformatics; genome-wide identification
（Acta Laser Biology Sinica, 2021, 30(1): 067-074）