IDENTIFICATION OF PLANT-SPECIFIC YABBY TRANSCRIPTION FACTOR GENE FAMILY IN FALSE FLAX (CAMELINA SATIVA L.) AND IN SILICO EXPRESSION PROFILING

Camelina sativa is a hexaploid oilseed crop with remarkable agronomic resilience and industrial value; however, the YABBY transcription factor gene family remains insufficiently characterized. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive genome-wide identification and in silico characterization of the YABBY gene family in C. sativa, providing insights into its evolutionary relationships, structural organization, and potential regulatory functions. Seventeen YABBY genes (CsYABBYs) were identified through conserved-domain-based screening and systematically characterized for physicochemical features, evolutionary relationships, exon–intron architecture, conserved motifs, chromosomal locations, cis-regulatory elements, and evolutionary selection pressure. Comparative phylogenetic analysis with Arabidopsis thaliana and Theobroma cacao separated the CsYABBY proteins into five clusters (FIL/YAB3, YAB2, YAB5, CRC, and INO), indicating strong evolutionary conservation and functional similarity in each subfamily. Gene structure analysis showed that exon–intron organization was highly conserved in every clade. In contrast, MEME-based motif analysis identified ten conserved motifs, including the characteristic C2C2 zinc-finger and YABBY domains. Promoter analysis uncovered abundant cis-regulatory elements associated with various regulatory functions, suggesting extensive involvement of CsYABBY genes in integrating environmental signals. The Ka/Ks analysis also supports purifying selection, as Ka/Ks values are below 1. Collectively, these findings establish an integrated genomic framework for the YABBY transcription factor family in C. sativa and serve as a valuable reference for YABBY gene function or for cloning individual YABBY genes.