Genome-wide analysis of TCP family genes and their constitutive expression pattern analysis in the melon (Cucumis melo).

Background: TCP proteins are plant-specific transcription factors that play essential roles in various developmental processes, including leaf morphogenesis and senescence, flowering, lateral branching, hormone crosstalk, and stress responses. However, a comprehensive analysis of genome-wide TCP genes and their expression patterns in melon is yet to be done.

Objective: The present study aims to identify and analyze the TCP genes in the melon genome and understand their putative functions.

Methods: The chromosomal location, gene structure, conserved motifs, protein domains, structural homology, cis-regulating elements, transcript expression patterns, and potential protein-protein interactions were analyzed using various databases and webtools.

Results: A total of 29 putative TCP genes are identified in melon. These genes were classified into two classes: Class-I (13 genes) and Class-II (16 genes). The results revealed that the putative CmTCP genes are distributed across nine of the twelve melon chromosomes and exhibit diverse expression patterns in different tissues which mostly indicates their potential role in floral organ development, lateral branching, growth and development. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that some CmTCP genes may have similar functions to their homologs in other plant species, while others may have undergone functional diversification.

Conclusion: This study paves the way for future investigations into the specific roles of individual CmTCP genes in melon and for elucidating the mechanisms by which TCP proteins regulate leaf elongation, floral development, and lateral branching.