Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of MYB transcription factors involved in fiber formation in white jute (Corchorus capsularis)

MYB transcription factors (TFs) are vital players in various plant biochemical and physiological processes. To date, MYB TFs have been comprehensively investigated in numerous plant species. Corchorus capsularis is one of the most important fiber crops worldwide. However, systematic investigation of the MYB TFs in C. capsularis remains elusive, which limits our insights into the contribution of MYB TFs regulating numerous biochemical processes such as anthocyanin accumulation and physiological processes (Color, growth, etc.) in this crop. Therefore, this study systematically investigated MYB genes comprising the gene structure, phylogeny, chromosomal locations, protein motifs, expression patterns, protein-protein interaction, and collinearity analysis. A total of 88 Corchorus capsularis R2R3-MYB (CcMYB) genes were characterized and distributed on seven chromosomes. The collinearity study revealed that the segmental duplication events were responsible for the enlargement of CcMYB genes. The highest syntenic relationship was observed between CcMYB genes (70/88) and Gossypium hirsutism genes. Further, phylogenetic tree analysis classified the 88 CcMYBs into 25 subgroups based on domain similarity and phylogenetic topology. Furthermore, the phylogenetic investigation of CcMYBs and Arabidopsis MYBs displayed the functional discrepancy of the CcMYB genes throughout evolution. Changes in anthocyanin content were observed among white jute’s stem bark tissues, which may be due to their different colors. Expression study of 11 CcMYB genes in total by real-time quantitative PCR revealed the diverse expression profiles in various tissues organs and functional predictions found that some CcMYBs might be associated with stem bark color and anthocyanin content, cellulose, and lignin biosynthesis. Co-expression interaction analysis showed that CcMYB genes could be involved in physiological, biological, and molecular processes. Our study provides comprehensive details on MYB genes and contributes to a better understanding of their functions in Corchorus capsularis.