Work

PmbHLH58 from Pinus massoniana Improves Drought Tolerance by Reducing Stomatal Aperture and Inducing ABA Receptor Family Genes in Transgenic Poplar Plants

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: The basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family members are involved in plant growth and development, physiological metabolism and various stress response processes. Pinus massoniana is a major turpentine-producing and wood-producing tree in seasonally dry areas of southern China. It has important economic and ecological value. The forestry industry holds it in exceptionally high regard. Drought severely limits the growth and productivity of P. massoniana, and we aimed to understand the functional role of PmbHLH58 in drought stress. Overexpressed of PmbHLH58 in the woody plant Populus davidiana × P. bolleana resulted in significantly higher drought tolerance, probably due to increased water use efficiency and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation under drought stress. We found ethylene responsive transcription factor ERF071 that interacted with PmbHLH58 protein by yeast two-hybridization. We further demonstrated that drought-induced ERF71 transcription factor increased the expression of key enzyme genes in ABA hormone signaling pathway. PmbHLH58 is a transcriptional activator and has a positive regulatory effect on drought tolerance of P. massonsiana. These findings provide new insights into transcriptional regulation mechanisms related to drought stress and will promote the progress of genetic improvement and plantation development of P. massonsiana.

Source: International Journal of Molecular Sciences

DOI: 10.3390/ijms26010277