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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (11): 125-135.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024517

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Identification of the CKX gene family in alfalfa and its responses to abiotic stress

Lin BIAN1(), Yan ZHANG1, Xiao-wei HUO1, Rui DAI1, Na GUO1, Feng-yan YI2, Cui-ping GAO1, Zhi-qiang ZHANG1,3()   

  1. 1.Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources of the Ministry of Education,College of Grassland Science,Inner Mongolia Agricultural University,Hohhot 010000,China
    2.Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural & Animal Husbandry Sciences,Hohhot 010031,China
    3.Technology Engineering Center of Drought and Cold-resistant Grass Breeding in North of the National Forestry and Grassland Administration,Hohhot 010000,China
  • Received:2024-12-27 Revised:2025-03-10 Online:2025-11-20 Published:2025-10-09
  • Contact: Zhi-qiang ZHANG

Abstract:

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) is the most widely planted legume forage in the world, with a high yield, strong stress resistance, and good palatability. Low temperature and drought are important abiotic stress factors affecting the yield, quality, and distribution of alfalfa. Cytokinin oxidase/dehydrogenase (CKX) irreversibly degrades cytokinin, thereby regulating plant growth and development, and it also contributes to the plant response to environmental stress. In this study, the CKX gene family of alfalfa was identified and analyzed by bioinformatics methods at the whole-genome level. In total, 31 CKX genes were identified in the alfalfa genome, distributed on chromosomes 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, and 8. Members of the CKX gene family members encoded polypeptides of 273-545 amino acids, all of which were hydrophilic proteins except for MsCKX30. In a phylogenetic analysis, the CKX gene family grouped into three subfamilies with highly conserved domains, and alfalfa CKX genes showed high homology with those of Medicago truncatula. Analyses of gene transcript levels by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction showed that MsCKX2MsCKX3MsCKX7MsCKX8MsCKX15MsCKX16, and MsCKX18 were induced under low-temperature stress, MsCKX2 and MsCKX15 were induced under drought stress, and MsCKX15 was induced by both low temperature stress and drought stress. These results provide a reference for further research on the functions of CKX genes in alfalfa.

Key words: alfalfa, CKX gene family, bioinformatics analysis, expression analysis