Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of Heat Shock Protein 70 Family in Theobroma cacao

<b>Background and Objective:</b> In plants, the 70 kDa heat shock proteins (Hsp70-s) play important roles during growth and development and in response to stresses. This study aimed to provide comprehensive information on the <i>Hsp70 </i>family in cocoa (<i>Theobroma cacao</i>), one of the most important tropical perennial cash crops worldwide. <b>Materials and Methods:</b> A basic local alignment search tool (TBLASTN) against the cocoa genome was performed using <i>Arabidopsis</i> Hsp70-s as queries to detect TcHsp70-s. Sequence analyses were carried out by various bioinformatics tools. <b>Results:</b> A total of 18 members of the <i>Hsp70</i> family has been detected and characterized in the cocoa genome. All general properties, such as physic-chemical parameters, gene structure, phylogenetic tree and sub-cellular localization, were determined using a variety of bioinformatics tools. The expression patterns of the <i>TcHsp70</i> genes in different stages of the zygotic and somatic embryos were investigated. In addition, expression profiles of the <i>TcHsp70</i> genes under <i>Phytophthora megakarya</i> inoculation were analyzed. <b>Conclusion:</b> The results of this study revealed the features and expression analyses of <i>Hsp70</i> genes in cocoa. These findings could provide a strong foundation for further research of the <i>TcHsp70</i> family, which could aid in the development and stress tolerance of cocoa species.