Genome-Wide Identification and Expression Profiling of CONSTANS-Like Genes in Pepper ( Capsicum annuum ): Gaining an Insight to Their Phylogenetic Evolution and Stress-Specific Roles

( ) genes play important regulatory roles in multiple growth and development processes of plants but have rarely been studied in . This study explored the evolutionary relationship and expression patterns of genes from . A total of 10 genes were identified in the genome of the cultivated pepper and were named - . These genes were unequally distributed among five chromosomes and could be divided into three groups based on differences in gene structure characteristics. During evolutionary history, duplications and retentions were divergent among different groups of genes. Tandem duplication caused amplification of group I genes. Genetic distance among genes was the largest in group III, suggesting that group III genes undergo more relaxed selection pressure compared with the other groups. Expression patterns of in tissues were significantly different, with exhibiting the highest expression in stem and leaf. Some orthologous genes showed markedly different expression patterns in pepper compared with tomato, such as COL_1 orthologs, which may be involved in fruit development in pepper. In addition, participated in the regulation of abiotic stresses to varying degrees. Five genes were induced by cold, and and were specifically upregulated by cold and downregulated by heat. This study provides a theoretical basis for the in-depth understanding of the functions of genes in pepper and their molecular mechanisms involved in growth and development and responses to abiotic stresses.