Systematic Analysis of MYB Genes Family in Acer rubrum and Functional Characterization of ArMYB89 Gene.

The MYB transcription factor (TF) family is extensively distributed across the plant kingdom. However, the functional significance of red maple MYB TFs remains unclear. Our research identified 393 MYB transcription factors in the Acer rubrum genome, and these ArMYB members were unevenly distributed across 34 chromosomes. Among them, R2R3 was the primary MYB subclass, which was further divided into 21 subgroups with their Arabidopsis homologs. The evolution of the ArMYB family was also investigated, with the results revealing several R2R3-MYB subgroups with expanded membership in woody species. Quantitative real-time PCR analysis revealed that the ArMYB89 transcription level was significantly up-regulated in red leaves in contrast to green leaves. Here, we report on the isolation and characterization of ArMYB89 in red maple. Subcellular localization experiments indicated that ArMYB89 was localized on the nucleus. Further experiments revealed that ArMYB89 could interact with ArSGT1 in vitro and in vivo. The overexpression of ArMYB89 in tobacco might enhance the anthocyanin content of transgenic plants. In conclusion, our results contributed to the elucidation of a theoretical basis for the ArMYB gene family and provides a foundation for the further characterization of the biological roles of MYB genes in the regulation of Acer rubrum leaf color.