Screening of transcription factors related to flower and fruit development by differential gene analysis in Lycium species

Lycium barbarum Thunb. and ruthenicum Murray (wolfberries) have been utilized as traditional medicinal nutritional plants in China for centuries. Much research has focused on their high quality, yet the molecular mechanisms underlying morphological differences remain unclear. In this study, a comparative analysis of cytological characteristics indicated that significant existed. Meanwhile, transcriptomic analyses flower fruit were performed at different developmental stages, total 54 795 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) screened. Gene Ontology Kyoto Encyclopedia Genes Genomes showed these DEGs significantly enriched substance metabolism, catalytic activity, single organism process, starch sucrose carotenoid biosynthesis, amino sugar nucleotide phenylpropanoid other pathways. Based pathways, ratio between nonsynonymous synonymous substitution rates (Ka/Ks), numerous studies related to development, we preliminarily screened eight transcription factor families development counted number potential genes. These candidate could provide basis future functional verification, helping further mechanism two species.