Genome-Wide Identification of the KAN Gene Family and Expression Profiles During the Fruit Developmental Stages in Prunus mume

<i>KANADI</i> (<i>KAN</i>) transcription factors are pivotal regulators of lateral organ polarity establishment in plants. Although extensively studied in herbaceous plants, the role of <i>KAN</i> genes in woody plant development remains unclear. This study conducts the first comprehensive analysis of 26 <i>PmKAN</i> genes in <i>Prunus mume</i>, elucidating their evolutionary trajectories, structural configurations, tissue-specific expression patterns and potential roles in root and fruit development. Phylogenetic analysis of four Rosaceae species and <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> clustered these <i>PmKANs</i> into five subfamilies, with conserved motif patterns supporting this classification. Chromosomal localization revealed that all <i>PmKAN</i> members are distributed across eight chromosomes, with tandem duplications events and syntenic relationships indicating functional diversification driven by gene family expansion. Cis-regulatory element analysis identified light-responsive, hormone-associated, stress-related, and developmental motifs, suggesting <i>PmKAN</i> genes are involved in regulating plant physiological processes and development. The qRT-PCR analysis revealed tissue-specific expression heterogeneity among <i>PmKAN</i> genes, with markedly elevated expression particularly observed in roots and fruits. Further expression profiling across fruit developmental stages suggests potential stage-specific functional divergence of <i>PmKAN</i> genes during fruit development. This study provides a theoretical foundation for further investigating the evolutionary relationships and molecular regulatory mechanisms of the <i>PmKAN</i> gene family.