Characterization and Expression Analysis of the Gene Family in the Common Bean () in Response to Salt and Drought Stresses.

Tubby-like proteins (TLPs) are essential multifunctional transcription factors in plants that significantly influence plant growth and development, signal transduction, and adaptation to environmental stress. Despite their importance, there is limited knowledge of the identification and functional roles of the gene family in the common bean. In this study, we identified the gene family, which consists of 10 genes distributed unevenly across seven chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these genes could be classified into three subfamilies (A, B, and C). All PvTLP proteins contained both conserved tubby and F-box domains, with the exception of PvTLP7, which lacks the F-box domain. Conserved motif analysis revealed that 10 genes contained motif 1 and motif 3. Cis-acting elements analysis indicated that genes might be involved in light, hormone, and stress responses. Synteny analysis revealed a closer phylogenetic relationship between the common bean and dicotyledons than monocotyledons. qRT-PCR analysis confirmed the significant differences in the expression of most genes in both leaves and roots under salt and drought stresses. These findings provide valuable insights for further exploration of the molecular functions of TLPs in plant responses to various stresses and offer key candidate genes for enhancing stress resistance in the common bean through molecular breeding.