Work

PsDUF6A from Populus simonii enhances drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis and poplar by increasing ROS scavenging

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Drought stress, as a major environmental factor, seriously affects the development and productivity of plants. Poplar provides various industries with a large amount of wood material, but many regions worldwide have arid or semi-arid conditions that seriously affect poplar tree growth. The domains of unknown function (DUF) protein families have not been characterized in terms of their functions. In this study, PsDUF6A from Populus simonii, which is highly tolerant to drought stress, was functionally characterized. This gene is highly expressed in mature leaves, especially under drought conditions. Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana (Arabidopsis) and 84K poplar lines overexpressing PsDUF6A were constructed to investigate whether PsDUF6A influences drought tolerance. Under drought conditions, the survival rate and relative water content were higher for PsDUF6A-overexpressing Arabidopsis than for wild-type Arabidopsis, whereas the opposite trend was observed for relative electrical conductivity, indicative of increased drought tolerance. Compared with 84K poplar, transgenic poplar had a higher photosynthetic activity, lower water loss rate, and higher root biomass. Moreover, PsDUF6A overexpression increased antioxidant enzyme activities and the ROS scavenging. In addition, the yeast one-hybrid assay indicated that PsC2H213, PsC2H214, PsC2H215, PsC2H217, and PsC2H218 can directly interact with the PsDUF6A promoter. These results imply that PsDUF6A enhances drought tolerance by maintaining ROS homeostasis, and PsDUF6A promoter can bind with C2H2-type ZFP. Our research findings revealed the positive contributions of PsDUF6A to drought tolerance and provide insights into the underlying regulatory network.

Source: Plant Stress

DOI: 10.1016/j.stress.2024.100706

Authors: Yanfei Yang, Jinna Zhao, Xingrong Ren, Xueqi Bai, Tao Li, Jianbo Li

Institutions: Shanxi Agricultural University, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Experimental Center of Forestry in North China, State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding

Language: English

Topic: Plant Stress Responses and Tolerance

Subfield: Plant Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,690