Genomic and phylogenetic analysis of SQUAMOSA-PROMOTER BINDING PROTEIN-LIKE gene family in Carthamus tinctorius L

The SPL gene family plays a vital role in important processes such as leaf development, flowering, interaction with hormonal pathways, and response to environmental stresses, and its study is essential for understanding plant regulatory mechanisms. Safflower ( Carthamus tinctorius L), as a plant with economic and medicinal value, is a rich source of protein, B vitamins, and essential fatty acids. Genomic study of the SPL family in this plant can help improve its important agronomic and medicinal traits. In this study, using bioinformatics methods, the SPL gene family was identified and studied in the safflower genome. A total of 44 sequences containing the conserved SBP domain were identified. Computational studies of physicochemical features showed that the identified proteins have significant variation in sequence length (27 to 314 amino acids), molecular weight (7.97 to 931.2 kDa), and isoelectric point (8.41 to 11.03). Cellular localization prediction showed that 87% of the proteins are localized in the plasma membrane . The evolutionary relationships of SPL genes in safflower were identified by phylogenetic analysis. Computational analysis of motifs revealed a diverse range of conserved motifs ranging from 6 to 49 amino acids in length. Functional analysis of the promoters led to the identification of 271 unique regulatory elements. Gene ontology (GO) results showed that 44% of GO terms were related to molecular functions, 38% to biological processes, and 18% to cellular components. DNA binding (57.1%) and glycosyltransferase activity (35.7%) were identified as the most important molecular functions. Bioinformatic analyses of the SPL gene family provide new insights into the structural and functional diversity of this family and provide fundamental information for future functional studies in the field of plant breeding.