Abstract
Homeobox (HB) genes are crucial for plant growth and development processes. They encode transcription factors and responses to various stresses, as reported by recent emerging evidence. In this study, a total of 113 BraHB genes were identified in Brassica rapa. On the basis of domain organization and phylogenetic analysis, the BraHBs were grouped into nine subclasses, in which homeobox leucine-zipper (HB LZP-III) showed the highest number of genes (28) compared to other subclasses. The BraHBs exhibited similarities in exon-intron organization and motif composition among the members of the same subclasses. The analysis revealed that HB-Knotted was more preferentially retained than any other subclass of BraHB. Furthermore, we evaluated the impact of whole-genome triplication on the evolution of BraHBs. In order to analyze the subgenomes of B. rapa, we identified 39 paralogous pairs for which synonymous substitution values were lower than 1.00 for further purifying selection. Finally, the expression patterns of BraHBs across six tissues expressed dynamic variations combined with their responses against multiple stresses. The current study provides brief information on the homeobox gene family in B. rapa. Our findings can serve as a reference for further functional analysis of BraHBs.