Comprehensive Genomic Analysis and Expression Profiling of the C2H2 Zinc Finger Protein Family Under Abiotic Stresses in Cucumber (

Cucumber is one of the most important vegetables in the world. The C2H2 zinc finger protein (C2H2-ZFP) family plays an important role in the growth development and abiotic stress responses of plants. However, there have been no systematic studies on cucumber. In this study, we performed a genome-wide study of C2H2-ZFP genes and analyzed their chromosomal location, gene structure, conservation motif, and transcriptional expression. In total, 101 putative cucumber C2H2-ZFP genes were identified and divided into six groups (I–VI). RNA-seq transcriptome data on different organs revealed temporal and spatial expression specificity of the C2H2-ZFP genes. Expression analysis of sixteen selected C2H2-ZFP genes in response to cold, drought, salt, and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that C2H2-ZFP genes may be involved in different signaling pathways. These results provide valuable information for studying the function of cucumber C2H2-ZFP genes in the future.