Genome-wide identification, characterization and expression pattern analysis of the VDAC gene family reveals likely roles in rapid shoot growth and abiotic stress in Moso bamboo ((Phyllostachys edulis (Carrière) J.Houz.)

Moso bamboo is an important fast-growing forest species. The rapid growth of its shoots and its ability to respond to environmental stresses, such as drought and low temperatures, directly influence its shoot yield and quality. The voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) family comprises a group of regulatory proteins involved in mitochondrial energy metabolism, which are essential for plant growth, development and stress responses. In this study, we identified a total of 18 VDAC gene family members from the Moso bamboo genome-wide data using bioinformatics methods and systematically analyzed their physicochemical properties, collinearity, chromosomal localization, conserved structural domains and motifs, cis -acting elements and evolutionary relationships. By mining transcriptome data, we characterized the expression patterns of the VDAC gene family during the rapid developmental stages of Moso bamboo shoots, as well as under different hormonal and abiotic stresses, including high salt and drought. The results suggest that the VDAC gene family may promote the rapid development of bamboo shoots and enhance plant responsiveness to hormonal and abiotic stresses. Additionally, we predicted the transcription factors that regulate VDAC -related transcripts, performed protein interaction analysis and initially constructed a VDAC -related regulatory and interaction network. This study provides a theoretical basis for exploring the functions of VDACs in bamboo plants and screening candidate genes related to rapid growth and stress tolerance. • Identified 18 PeVDAC genes via genome-wide analysis, characterized their physicochemical properties, phylogeny, gene structures, and conserved motifs. • Revealed PeVDAC-mediated regulatory networks in rapid shoot growth, hormone signaling, and stress adaptation through expression profiling and protein interaction modeling. • Study provides new insights into the molecular mechanisms of rapid growth in moso bamboo, contributing to plant genetics and biotechnology research.