SQUAMOSA promoter binding proteins (SBPs) form a major family of plant-specific transcription factors related to flower development. SBP-box genes were first characterized as SQUAMOSA promoter binding proteins (SBPs) to regulate the expression of MADS-box genes in early flower development of A. majus. We identified 50 SBP genes, including JTY(17), LWM(17) and F106(16).