A genome-wide analysis of the cellulose synthase-like (Csl) gene family in maize (Zea mays)

Cell walls play an important role in the structure and morphology of plants as well as stress response, including various biotic and abiotic stresses. Although the comprehensive analysis of genes involved in cellulose synthase have been performed in model plants, such as Arabidopsis thaliana and rice, information regarding cellulose synthase-like (Csl) genes in maize is extremely limited. In this study, a total of 56 members of Csl gene family were identified in maize genome, which were classified into six subfamilies. Analysis of gene structure and conserved motif indicated functional similarities among the ZmCsl proteins within the same subfamily. Additionally, the 56 ZmCsl genes were dispersed on 10 chromosomes. The expression patterns of ZmCsl genes in different tissues using the transcriptome data revealed that most of ZmCsl genes had a relatively high expression in root and tassel tissues. Moreover, the expression profiles of ZmCsl genes under drought and re-watering indicated that the expression of ZmCsl genes were mainly responsive to early stage of drought stress. The protein-protein interaction network of ZmCsl genes proposed some potential interacted proteins. The data presented a comprehensive survey of Csl gene family in maize. The detailed description of maize Csl genes will be beneficial to understand their structural, functional, and evolutionary features. Importantly, we have described the differential expression profiles of these members across different tissues and under drought. This information will provide an important foundation for studying the roles of these ZmCsl genes in response to biotic and abiotic stresses.