Genome-wide characterisation of HD-Zip transcription factors and functional analysis of PbHB24 during stone cell formation in Chinese white pear (Pyrus bretschneideri)

The homodomain-leucine zipper (HD-Zip) is a conserved transcription factor family unique to plants that regulate multiple developmental processes including lignificaion. Stone cell content is a key determinant negatively affecting pear fruit quality, which causes a grainy texture of fruit flesh, because of the lignified cell walls.