Analysis of WAK Genes in Nine Cruciferous Species with a Focus on Brassica napus L.

The wall-associated kinase family contributes to plant cell elongation and pathogen recognition. Nine Cruciferous species were studied for identification and molecular evolution of the WAK gene family. Firstly, 178 WAK genes were identified. A phylogenetic tree was constructed of the Cruciferous WAK proteins into four categories, of which the Brassica rapa, Brassica oleracea and Brassica napus genes in the U’s triangle were more closely related. The WAK gene family was unevenly distributed in B. napus chromosomal imaging, with the largest number of BnWAK genes located on chromosome C08. In the expression analysis, the expression patterns of the WAK gene family varied under different stress treatments, and some members of BnWAKs were significantly different under stress treatments. This study lays a foundation for further revealing the functional mechanisms of the WAK gene family in Brassica napus.