Identification and expression analysis of genes involved in histone acetylation in Hevea brasiliensis

Histone post-translational modifications play a crucial role in epigenetic regulation of plant growth and development. Histone acetylation is a major and important posttranslational modification of core histones. Based on the recently released draft of the rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) genome sequences, 23 genes encoding histone acetyltransferases (HATs) and 14 genes encoding histone deacetylases (HDACs) were identified in silico and were compared them with those detected in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) and rice (Oryza sativa) orthologs. Phylogenetic relationship and domain architecture were comprehensively analyzed. Additionally, expression profiles of HbHATs and HbHDACs were analyzed in different tissues and four periods during somatic embryogenesis of rubber tree. The transcription profiles of HbHATs and HbHDACs within rubber tree organs revealed a broad functional role for HbHATs and HbHDACs, suggesting key HbHATs and HbHDACs regulators in rubber tree development. Such a comprehensive analysis of these HbHATs and HbHDACs will provide fundamental understanding of their diverse roles in rubber tree development and be useful for future functional genomic studies on regulations of histone acetylation modifications in rubber tree.