| Summary: | WD40 proteins, also known as WD40 domain proteins, constitute a large gene family in eukaryotes and play multiple roles in cellular processes. However, systematic identification and analysis of WD40 proteins have not yet been reported in potato (<i>Solanum tuberosum</i> L.). In the present study, 178 potato WD40 (<i>StWD40</i>) genes were identified and their distribution on chromosomes, gene structure, and conserved motifs were assessed. According to their structural and phylogenetic protein features, these 178 <i>StWD40</i> genes were classified into 14 clusters and 10 subfamilies. Collinearity analysis showed that segmental duplication events played a major role in the expansion of the <i>StWD40</i> gene family. Synteny analysis indicated that 45 and 23 pairs of <i>StWD40</i> genes were orthologous to <i>Arabidopsis</i> and wheat (<i>Triticum aestivum</i>), respectively, and that these gene pairs evolved under strong purifying selection. RNA-seq data from different tissues and abiotic stresses revealed tissue-specific expression and abiotic stress-responsive <i>StWD40</i> genes in doubled monoploid potato (DM). Furthermore, we further analyzed the WD40 genes might be involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis and drought stress in tetraploid potato cultivars based on RNA-seq data. In addition, a protein interaction network of two homologs of <i>Arabidopsis TTG1</i>, which is involved in anthocyanin biosynthesis, was constructed to identify proteins that might be related to anthocyanin biosynthesis. The result showed that there were 112 pairs of proteins interacting with <i>TTG1</i>, with 27 being differentially expressed in pigmented tissues. This study indicates that WD40 proteins in potato might be related to anthocyanin biosynthesis and abiotic stress responses.
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