# Genome-Wide Identification and Evolutionary Analysis of the bHLH Transcription Factor Family in Rosa roxburghii

## TL;DR

This study identifies and analyzes the bHLH transcription factor family in Rosa roxburghii, revealing evolutionary patterns and functional diversity.

## Contribution

The study provides the first genome-wide analysis of bHLH transcription factors in Rosa roxburghii, highlighting lineage-specific evolution and functional divergence.

## Key findings

- 89 non-redundant RrbHLH genes were identified and classified into 23 subfamilies.
- Segmental duplication and structural variations contributed to functional divergence in RrbHLH genes.
- Promoter analysis revealed cis-acting elements linked to stress and hormone responses.

## Abstract

The basic/helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factors are crucial regulators of plant development and stress responses. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide analysis of the bHLH family in Rosa roxburghii, an economically important fruit crop. A total of 89 non-redundant RrbHLHs were identified and unevenly distributed across the seven chromosomes. Phylogenetic analysis classified them into 23 subfamilies and 7 Arabidopsis subfamilies were absent, indicating lineage-specific evolutionary trajectories. Conserved motif and gene structure analyses showed that members within the same subfamily generally shared similar architectures, yet subfamily-specific variations were evident, suggesting potential functional diversification. Notably, key residues involved in DNA-binding and dimerization were highly conserved within the bHLH domain. Promoter analysis identified multiple cis-acting elements related to hormone response, stress adaptation, and tissue-specific regulation, hinting at broad regulatory roles. Expression profiling across fruit developmental stages and in response to GA3 treatment revealed dynamic expression patterns. Furthermore, 21 duplicated gene pairs (17 segmental and 4 tandem duplicated pairs) were identified, with most evolving under purifying selection. Detailed analysis of these pairs revealed that segmental duplication, coupled with structural variations such as exon indels, dissolution/joining, and exonization/pseudoexonization, substantially contributed to their functional divergence during evolution. Our results provide a basis for understanding the evolution and potential functions of the RrbHLHs.