LAUSR

Abstract GATA proteins are a group of transcriptional regulators that can detect and bind to GATA motifs by zinc finger domain. The plant GATA family is one of the most significant TFs involved in light-responsive development, nitrogen metabolism, and phyto-hormone signaling. In this study, 20 potatoes and 22 tomato GATA genes were selected. The chromosomal locations, gene structures, phylogenetic tree, and the expression during developmental stages of 42 GATA transcription factors (TFs) in Solanaceae species were analyzed to further investigate the functions of these factors. Also, Gene duplication and synteny between the tomato and potato genomes were also analyzed to provide insights into their evolutionary characteristics. Furthermore, genome evolution of potato and tomato using orthologous and paralogous identification was studied. The results of chromosomal localization revealed that 20 SlGATA genes of tomato were located on 12 chromosomes, except on chromosomes 9 and 11. In potato, all 22 StGATA genes were located on 12 chromosomes. Our results indicated that gene duplication may play an important role in genome expansion of potato and tomato. So far, a complete analysis combining evolutionary analysis and expression of the GATA TFs in the Solanaceae species of tomato and potato has not been reported. A comparative phylogenetic analysis of the GATA factor zinc finger domain sequences in potato and tomato revealed four subfamilies. The conserved motifs and gene structure in most genes in each group was similar, according to the grouping of GATA TFs in phylogenetic tree. The analysis of cis-elements showed that SlGATA26a/26b and StGATA26a/26b can be suggested as candidate genes in response to abiotic and biotic stresses. SlGATA26a/26b and StGATA26a/26b genes were expressed in root, shoot, and inflorescence. Altogether, our resultsshowed diverse roles for StGATA and SlGATA genes under abiotic and biotic stresses. Utilization of cis-elements prediction can faciliate potato and tomato improvement.