Genome-Wide Identification and Preliminary Functional Analysis of BAM (β-Amylase) Gene Family in Upland Cotton

The β-amylase ( ) gene family encodes important enzymes that catalyze the conversion of starch to maltose in various biological processes of plants and play essential roles in regulating the growth and development of multiple plants. So far, have been extensively studied in ( ). However, the characteristics of the gene family in the crucial economic crop, cotton, have not been reported. In this study, 27 genes in the genome of ( ) were identified by genome-wide identification, and they were divided into three groups according to sequence similarity and phylogenetic relationship. The gene structure, chromosome distribution, and collinearity of all genes identified in the genome of were analyzed. Further sequence alignment of the core domain of glucosyl hydrolase showed that all family genes had the glycosyl hydrolase family 14 domain. We identified the gene and preliminarily investigated its function by transcriptional sequencing analysis, qRT-PCR, and subcellular localization. These results suggested that the gene may influence fiber strength during fiber development. This systematic analysis provides new insight into the transcriptional characteristics of genes in . It may lay the foundation for further study of the function of these genes.