| Summary: | WRKY transcription factors play critical roles in plant growth and development or stress responses. Using up-to-date genomic data, a total of 64 and 257 WRKY genes have been identified in the diploid woodland strawberry, <i>Fragaria vesca</i>, and the more complex allo-octoploid commercial strawberry, <i>Fragaria</i> × <i>ananassa</i> cv. Camarosa, respectively. The completeness of the new genomes and annotations has enabled us to perform a more detailed evolutionary and functional study of the strawberry WRKY family members, particularly in the case of the cultivated hybrid, in which homoeologous and paralogous <i>FaWRKY</i> genes have been characterized. Analysis of the available expression profiles has revealed that many strawberry <i>WRKY</i> genes show preferential or tissue-specific expression. Furthermore, significant differential expression of several <i>FaWRKY</i> genes has been clearly detected in fruit receptacles and achenes during the ripening process and pathogen challenged, supporting a precise functional role of these strawberry genes in such processes. Further, an extensive analysis of predicted development, stress and hormone-responsive cis-acting elements in the strawberry WRKY family is shown. Our results provide a deeper and more comprehensive knowledge of the <i>WRKY</i> gene family in strawberry.
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