Genome-wide Analysis of the VQ Gene Family and Expression Profiling in Sorghum bicolor

Soil salinization severely restricts agricultural productivity, making the stress-tolerant sorghum an ideal model for studying crop adaptation. VQ motif-containing proteins are plant-specific transcriptional co-regulators vital for stress responses, yet their roles in sorghum remain underexplored. Here, we identified 35 VQ genes in sorghum, classifying them into seven subfamilies. Evolutionary analysis indicated that the family's expansion was primarily driven by segmental duplication. Notably, synteny analysis revealed a lack of collinearity between sorghum and Arabidopsis VQ genes, suggesting significant functional divergence during monocot evolution. Expression profiling showed distinct patterns among VQ members, with SbVQ34, SbVQ39 adn SbVQ40 significantly upregulated under salt stress. Furthermore, protein-protein interaction analysis highlighted SbVQ39 as a potential key regulator in sorghum salt tolerance. This study provides novel insights into sorghum's salinity tolerance mechanisms and establishes a foundation for utilizing VQ genes in breeding salt-tolerant crops.