Genome-wide identification and abiotic stress expression analysis of laccase gene family in alfalfa

Background Laccases are ubiquitous in nature, and participate in lignin biosynthesis and abiotic/biotic stress responses in plants. However, as a vital leguminous forage grass, Medicago sativa has rarely been reported regarding systematic studies on its LAC gene family Results To systematically investigate the structural characteristics and evolutionary patterns of the LAC gene family in Medicago sativa , we performed genome-wide identification and comprehensive bioinformatics analysis of the MsLAC family. A total of 156 MsLAC genes were identified and unevenly distributed on 28 chromosomes. These genes displayed highly conserved gene structures and motifs, indicating functional conservation. Cis -element analysis suggested that most MsLAC genes are involved in responses to various abiotic stresses. collinearity analysis revealed that segmental duplication dominated the expansion of the MsLAC family, with strong conservation observed between alfalfa and other legumes. Preliminary qRT-PCR results demonstrated that the expression of selected MsLAC genes was markedly induced under salt and drought stresses, which validated the reliability of transcriptome data. This study provides a solid basis for exploring the functions of MsLAC genes under abiotic stress. Conclusion In this study, comprehensive analyses were performed on the LA C gene family, including gene structure, phylogenetic relationship, and expression patterns under abiotic stresses. The results indicated that MsLAC genes might participate in regulating plant growth, development and stress adaptation in alfalfa, which could provide potential candidate genes for future stress-tolerant molecular breeding of alfalfa.