Genome‐Wide Identification and Salt Stress Response Analysis of the MADS‐box Transcription Factors in Sugar Beet

Abstract The abiotic stress response and plant development are significantly influenced by MADS‐box transcription factors. Nonetheless, the functions of the MADS‐box genes in sugar beet stress response are very limited. Here, the sugar beet MADS‐box transcription factor gene family was analyzed in sugar beet. The entire genome survey yielded 48 MADS‐bo x genes, which were categorized as type I (Mα, Mβ, and Mγ) and type II (MIKC*, Bs, B, AGL15/AGL18, SVP, FLC, ANR1, SOC1, C/D, Bs, AGL13, E, and A). Five pairs of BvMADS‐box genes were fragment duplicated, according to a collinear analysis. A total of fifteen conserved motifs were found, with 1–6 motifs found in each BvMADS‐box . Most BvMADS‐box genes were expressed more when exposed to salt stress. Among them, the salt‐responsive gene BvMADS‐box38 is located in the nucleus, as indicated by subcellular localization analysis. Protein interaction network analysis indicated that Bv MADS‐box proteins were mainly involved in the regulation of the plant flowering process, ABA signal transduction, and stress response. The results of BvMADS‐box genes will springboard further studies of their detailed biological functions and inform molecular breeding efforts toward improving sugar beet quality, yield and stress tolerance.