CsZF-HD13, a Camellia sinensis ZF-HD family member, acts as a positive regulator to improve thermotolerance in heterologous transgenic Arabidopsis
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: High temperatures significantly affect plant growth and development, thereby impacting the yield and quality of crops. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of plant heat tolerance is crucial for breeding crops with heat resistance capabilities. The ZF-HD TF family is vital for plant development and abiotic stress tolerance; however, their potential roles in tea plants (Camellia sinensis) remain unclear. Here, subcellular localization assays showed that CsZF-HD13 was localized to the nucleus. Quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) assays revealed that CsZF-HD13 was induced by various stresses and phytohormones, namely salt, drought, cold, heat, and GA3, with peak transcript abundance at 3 h after heat treatment. To determine whether CsZF-HD13 could confer enhanced thermotolerance, we heterologously overexpressed this gene in Arabidopsis and evaluated multiple physiological parameters. Overexpression in Arabidopsis enhanced thermotolerance, as evidenced by significantly higher seed germination rates under high temperature compared to wild type (WT). Transgenic plants displayed elevated activities of SOD, POD, and CAT, accompanied by higher soluble sugar levels, while exhibiting lower MDA and H2O2 contents under heat stress. The transcript levels of several heat-responsive genes, including At5G25450, AtHSP22, AtHSP23.5, AtHSP23.6, AtHSP70, and AtHSP70T-2, were significantly upregulated in transgenic plants compared with WT. Identification and functional validation of the heat-responsive TFs CsZF-HD13 provide engineerable genetic parts for creating heat-tolerant tea plant germplasm.
Source: Engineering in Life Sciences
Language: English
Subfield: Plant Science
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Zero hunger
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,300
OpenAlex ID: W7223231730