This study aims to perform the genomic identification, evolution, and expression analyses of the STAT gene family in water buffalo. The results showed that there were seven family members of STAT gene family in buffalo and named bbu.STAT1~6, STAT5 included STAT5A and STAT5B. STAT1 and STAT4 were located on chromosome 2, STAT2 and STAT6 on chromosome 4,STAT3, STAT5A and STAT5B on chromosome 3.The length of these seven STAT proteins ranged from 748-865 aa, and the PI was all less than 7, indicating that buffalo STAT proteins were all acidic proteins.Genetic structure analysis revealed that different groups had different intron quantity patterns.Motif analysis showed that the predicted Motif 1-10 were found in all of them except for bbu.STAT2, and the sequence was the same, indicating that the functions of the buffalo STAT gene family members were similar.The results of collinearity analysis showed that three buffalo STAT gene pairs were confirmed to be tandem duplicated genes,but no segmental duplication event was confirmed to be discovered, and cattle same with buffalo.It was suggesting that tandem duplication had a predominant role in the expansion of buffalo and cattle STAT gene family.For the duplicated STAT pairs, we found that two pairs of duplicated STAT with the Ka/Ks ratios < 0.5 were identified,one of them with the Ka/Ks ratios were less than 0.1, which might experience strong purifying selection pressure. The phylogenetic analysis showed that STAT gene family was highly conserved, and buffalo was more similar to cattle and yak. Expression analysis showed that all STAT genes were expressed in mammary gland, and STAT5A had the highest expression level,STAT4 had the lowest expression level. It was suggesting that the STAT gene family in buffalo affecting mammary gland development and lactation, and STAT5A may play a more important role. |