Abstract
The transcription factors families (TFs) play a critical role in the response regulation of plants to abiotic stresses. The three plant lineages (E. desvauxii, C. colocynthis & Z. simplex) can be separated on the PC1 level, while R. stricta and S. Italica can be distinguished from each other on the PC2 level. A unique 225 transcripts in each of R. stricta and E. desvauxii, 85 transcripts in C. colocynthis, 92 transcripts in S. Italica, and 41 transcripts in Z. simplex were identified. All five plants were shared in only 15 transcripts. Genes had significant gene ontology (GO), R. stricta (450), E. desvauxii (475), C. colocynthis (197), S. Italica (223), and Z. simplex (75) were significantly assigned with GO terms for 29 transcriptional processes. The most abundant TF families in the five plants were MYB followed by, MYB-related, bHLH, and AP2-EREBP (1105, 803, 53 & 472 transcripts, respectively). The zinc TF families were the most transcribed and represented by 8 TF families (PLATZ, C2C2-CO-like, C3H, VOZ, C2C2-GATA, C2C2-DOF, C2H2 & ZF-HD), with the highest one (C3H TF family, 99 transcripts in both R. stricta & Z. simplex). The regulatory network showed that as heat response, 12 genes were upregulated in R. stricta and controlled several genes in some vital processes inside the plant, while E. desvauxii and S. Italica respond to heat by upregulation of 6 genes for each, C. colocynthis by regulation of 3 genes and the least one was Z. simplex by upregulation of two genes only.