A novel domain of unknown function 707 protein coordinates root growth and drought tolerance
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: A well-developed root system is one of the morphological mechanisms through which xerophytes adapt to drought. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying root growth are not completely known. In this work, two domain of unknown function 707 (DUF707) proteins were identified as hub genes for the response of roots to drought stress in Lespedeza potaninii, a xerophytic subshrub. We found that angiosperm DUF707 proteins can be divided into two subfamilies. LpDUF707-1 expression was strongly induced under drought stress and abscisic acid (ABA) treatment in the roots of L. potaninii, and its promoter activity in the roots was significantly induced by drought stress and mannitol treatments. The overexpression of LpDUF707-1 significantly improved root growth and drought tolerance, whereas the silencing of LpDUF707-1 inhibited root growth and reduced drought tolerance. We further revealed that the LpOBP3.1 transcription factor directly binds to the promoter region of LpDUF707-1, thereby repressing its activity. LpOBP3.1 expression was strongly suppressed under drought stress and ABA treatment in the roots of L. potaninii. The overexpression of LpOBP3.1 significantly inhibited root growth and decreased drought tolerance, whereas LpOBP3.1-RNAi lines presented the opposite pattern. Collectively, our results demonstrated that this novel module regulates root growth and drought tolerance in L. potaninii, thus providing gene targets for the development of elite crop varieties with well-developed root-mediated drought tolerance.
Source: The Plant Journal
DOI: 10.1111/tpj.70710
Authors: Qi Yan, Yunyue Xiao, Xue Li, Shengsheng Wang, Jiyu Zhang
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: bronze
Award: G7390029102
OpenAlex ID: W7127176505