Comparative study of DAM, Dof, and WRKYgene families in fourteen species and their expression in Vitis vinifera

Bud dormancy is one of the most important defensive mechanisms through which plants resist cold stress during harsh winter weather. DAM, Dof, and WRKYhave been reported to be involved in many biological processes, including bud dormancy. In the present study, grapevine (Vitis vinifera) and other thirteen plants (six woody plants and seven herbaceous plants) were analyzed for the quantity, sequence structure, and evolution patterns of their DAM, Dof, and WRKYgene family members. Moreover, the expression of VvDAM, VvDof, and VvWRKYgenes was also investigated. Thus, 51 DAM, 1,205 WRKY, and 489 Dofgenes were isolated from selected genomes, while 5 DAM, 114 WRKY, and 50 Dofduplicate gene pairs were identified in 10 genomes. Moreover, WGD and segmental duplication events were associated with the majority of the expansions of Dofand WRKYgene families. The VvDAM, VvDof, and VvWRKYgenes significantly differentially expressed throughout bud dormancy outnumbered those significantly differentially expressed throughout fruit development or under abiotic stresses. Interestingly, multiple stress responsive genes were identified, such as VvDAM(VIT_00s0313g00070), two VvDofgenes (VIT_18s0001g11310 and VIT_02s0025g02250), and two VvWRKYgenes (VIT_07s0031g01710 and VIT_11s0052g00450). These data provide candidate genes for molecular biology research investigating bud dormancy and responses to abiotic stresses (namely salt, drought, copper, and waterlogging).