Comprehensive study of rice YABBY gene family: evolution, expression and interacting proteins analysis

As plant-specific transcription regulators, YABBYs are involved in plant growth, development and stress responses. However, little information is available about genome-wide screening and identification of OsYABBY-interacting proteins. In this study, phylogenetic relationship, gene structure, protein structure and gene expression profile of eight OsYABBYs were carried out, all of which indicated that OsYABBYs were involved in different developmental processes and had functional differentiation. More importantly, PPI (protein-protein interaction) analysis and molecular docking simulation predicted that WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) proteins might be interacting proteins of OsYABBYs. Yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and luciferase complementation imaging assays (LCI) further confirmed that OsYABBYs (except for OsYABBY7) could interact with OsWOX3A in vitro and in vivo. In addition, OsYABBY3 and OsYABBY5 also could interact with OsWUS. Taken together, our results provided valuable information for further elucidating OsYABBYs regulation mechanism in improving rice performance.