Determination of the regulatory network of two bZIP transcription factors, AhHYH and AhHY5, in light signal regulation in peanut by DAP-seq

Abstract

Members of bZIP gene family play crucial roles in various biological processes, including plant growth and development, stress response, and light signal transduction. Despite their significance, there is limited information on the function of the bZIP gene family in peanuts. In this investigation, we identified a total of 99 bZIP gene family members in the peanut genome, distributed across 20 chromosomes. Phylogenetic tree analysis categorized the peanut bZIP gene family into 10 groups, with groups I, D, A and S being the most widely distributed. Transcriptome analysis of peanut pods revealed that 10 bZIP family genes exhibited significant induction in response to light, suggesting their potential involvement in light signal transduction in peanuts. Within the peanut bZIP family, group H comprises six genes AhbZIP13, AhbZIP63, AhbZIP39, AhbZIP44, AhbZIP91 and AhbZIP96. Particularly, the expression of the AhbZIP63 (AhHYH) gene significantly increased under light induction, indicating a pivotal role in light signal transduction. DAP-seq analysis of AhbZIP63 (AhHYH) demonstrated its direct regulation of genes associated with UV response and cellular response to nutrient levels.