Identification and function analysis of the PYL gene family in Medicago truncatula

Abscisic acid (ABA) is an endogenous hormone that plays an important role in regulating plant growth and development, and abiotic stress and biotic stress responses. Pyrabactin resistance 1-like (PYR/PYL) protein is a core regulatory component of the ABA signaling pathway. However, details about this family in Medicago truncatula are unknown. This study used BLAST method to identify members of the PYL family in the M. truncatula genome based on the 14 PYL genes in Arabidopsis thaliana. Consequently, 14 members of the PYL gene family were identified, all of which contain the PYR-PYL-RCAR-like domain. The cis-elements in the predicted promoters revealed that all the members of PYL gene family contain elements associated with stress and hormones. Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis and KEGG pathway analysis show that members of the PYL family are mainly involved in the abscisic acid signaling pathway and that they respond to external stimuli. Analysis of gene expression patterns showed that they exhibit specific expression patterns under stress. This study lays the foundation for further studies on the PYL genes in M. truncatula.