摘要：AbstractPlant cuticular wax is an important determinant factor of fruit quality. Cuticular wax can protect the fruit from UV radiation, drought, and disease and increase the storage period of fruit. In many species,CERgene is associated with wax and can affect plant response to stress, but no characterization ofCERgene and its family has been reported in apples. In this study, we identified 10MdCERgenes inMalus domesticabased on the sequences of 10CERgenes inArabidopsis thaliana. Three-dimensional structures were then defined, and root-mean-square deviation (RMSD) scoring matrixes were used to evaluate the matches. These 10 genes were divided into three classes using phylogenetic methods; namely, class I, II, and III. The predictedMdCERgenes were distributed across 7 out of 17 chromosomes with different densities. Furthermore, the gene structures and motif compositions of theMdCERgenes were analyzed. The quantitative real-time PCR results indicated thatMdCERfamily genes were mainly expressed in the leaves and stems and rarely in the roots. Most of theMdCERmembers responded to salicylic acid and polyethylene glycol treatment, indicating that theMdCERfamily is associated with disease resistance (biotic) and abiotic stress.
