Abstract
Cysteine-rich polycomb-like proteins (CPPs), pivotal transcription factors crucial for evolution of plants from germination to maturity, and adaptation to environmental stresses, have not yet been characterized within the context of Moso bamboo. The CPP gene family of Moso bamboo was identified through bioinformatics, and the structural and functional attributes of the gene, including its physicochemical properties, evolutionary relationships, and gene-protein structures, were revealed. Additionally, the current study also offers valuable information on the patterns of gene expression in bamboo shoots during the period of accelerated development. The results show that the Moso bamboo genome contains 17 CPP members. Molecular phylogenetic relationships indicated that CPPs could be divided into three subfamilies and that CPP members of the same subfamily shared similar gene structures, motifs and conserved structural domains. The covariance analysis showed that the covariance between CPP and Oryza sativa was higher than that between Arabidopsis. Protein homology modeling showed that CPP proteins contain the DNA-binding domain of typical transcription factors. Transcriptomic data analysis revealed that CPP gene expression differs between tissues and organs. CPP could be regulated in response to exogenous gibberellin (GA) and naphthalene acetic acid (NAA). The qRT-PCR experiments demonstrated that CPP was crucial in the initial and fast expansion of bamboo shoots. Additionally, gene ontology (GO), KEGG enrichment and CPP regulatory network map analyses revealed multiple functional annotations of PeCPP-regulated downstream target genes. The results of this study will not only lay the foundation for further exploration of the detailed biological functions of CPP genes in the growth and development of Moso bamboo, but also establish the groundwork for future genetic enhancement of fast-growing forest trees.