Abstract
BACKGROUND: Squamous promoter binding protein-like (SPL) proteins are a class of transcription factors that play essential roles in plant growth and development, signal transduction, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. The rapid development of whole genome sequencing has enabled the identification and characterization of SPL gene families in many plant species, but to date this has not been performed in quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa). RESULTS: This study identified 23 SPL genes in quinoa, which were unevenly distributed on 18 quinoa chromosomes. Quinoa SPL genes were then classified into eight subfamilies based on homology to Arabidopsis thaliana SPL genes. We selected three dicotyledonous and monocotyledonous representative species, each associated with C. quinoa, for comparative sympatric mapping to better understand the evolution of the developmental mechanisms of the CqSPL family. Furthermore, we also used 15 representative genes from eight subfamilies to characterize CqSPLs gene expression in different tissues and at different fruit developmental stages under six different abiotic stress conditions. CONCLUSIONS: This study, the first to identify and characterize SPL genes in quinoa, reported that CqSPL genes, especially CqSPL1, play a critical role in quinoa development and in its response to various abiotic stresses.