Abstract
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L.) is recognized for its resilience to environmental adversities; the DUF4228 gene family plays vital roles in development, growth, and response to stress in number of plant species such as Arabidopsis thaliana, and Glycine max, however, the systematic analysis of these gene families lacks reports in Sorghum. In this study, we identified and characterized members of the DUF4228 gene family in the Sorghum genome through comprehensive bioinformatics analyses. A total of 25 SbDUF4228 genes were discovered and mapped across eight chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis divided these genes into six different groupings. Subcellular localization indicated that SbDUF4228 proteins are distributed across the nucleus, mitochondria, cytoplasm, and plasma membrane, indicating potential functional diversity. Expression analysis based on Fragments Per Kilobase of transcript per Million mapped reads (FPKM) values revealed that SbDUF4228 genes are differentially expressed across distinct tissues. Furthermore, the promoter regions of the DUF4228 gene were enriched with cis-regulatory elements associated with stress responses (MYB, MYC) and hormone signaling (ABA, MeJA). To further examine their role in abiotic stress response, we preformed quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) on seven SbDUF4228 genes under salt stress conditions. The results indicated SbDUF4228-4, SbDUF4228-14, SbDUF4228-1, and SbDUF4228-15 genes were significantly up-regulated following salt treatment, indicating their crucial role in salt stress tolerance. Overall, this study identifies key stress-responsive members of the SbDUF4228 family and provides a foundation for future functional research and Sorghum improvement strategies.