The bZIP Transcription Factor GmbZIP15 Negatively Regulates Salt- and Drought-Stress Responses in Soybean

Soybean (Glycine max), as an important oilseed crop, is constantly threatened by abiotic stress, including that caused by salinity and drought. bZIP transcription factors (TFs) are one of the largest TF families and have been shown to be associated with various environmental-stress tolerances among species; however, their function in abiotic-stress response in soybean remains poorly understood. Here, we characterized the roles of soybean transcription factor GmbZIP15 in response to abiotic stresses. The transcript level of GmbZIP15 was suppressed under salt- and drought-stress conditions. Overexpression of GmbZIP15 in soybean resulted in hypersensitivity to abiotic stress compared with wild-type (WT) plants, which was associated with lower transcript levels of stress-responsive genes involved in both abscisic acid (ABA)-dependent and ABA-independent pathways, defective stomatal aperture regulation, and reduced antioxidant enzyme activities. Furthermore, plants expressing a functional repressor form of GmbZIP15 exhibited drought-stress resistance similar to WT. RNA-seq and qRT-PCR analyses revealed that GmbZIP15 positively regulates GmSAHH1 expression and negatively regulates GmWRKY12 and GmABF1 expression in response to abiotic stress. Overall, these data indicate that GmbZIP15 functions as a negative regulator in response to salt and drought stresses.

Download Full-text

A Soybean bZIP Transcription Factor GmbZIP19 Confers Multiple Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses in Plant

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms21134701 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (13) ◽

pp. 4701

Author(s):

Qing He ◽

Hanyang Cai ◽

Mengyan Bai ◽

Man Zhang ◽

Fangqian Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factor ◽

Drought Stress ◽

Pseudomonas Syringae ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Stomatal Closure ◽

Negative Regulator ◽

Marker Genes ◽

Genes Expression ◽

Salt And Drought Stress ◽

Salt And Drought Stresses

The basic leucine zipper (bZIP) is a plant-specific transcription factor family that plays crucial roles in response to biotic and abiotic stresses. However, little is known about the function of bZIP genes in soybean. In this study, we isolated a bZIP gene, GmbZIP19, from soybean. A subcellular localization study of GmbZIP19 revealed its nucleus localization. We showed that GmbZIP19 expression was significantly induced by ABA (abscisic acid), JA (jasmonic acid) and SA (salicylic acid), but reduced under salt and drought stress conditions. Further, GmbZIP19 overexpression Arabidopsis lines showed increased resistance to S. sclerotiorum and Pseudomonas syringae associated with upregulated ABA-, JA-, ETH- (ethephon-)and SA-induced marker genes expression, but exhibited sensitivity to salt and drought stresses in association with destroyed stomatal closure and downregulated the salt and drought stresses marker genes’ expression. We generated a soybean transient GmbZIP19 overexpression line, performed a Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay and found that GmbZIP19 bound to promoters of ABA-, JA-, ETH-, and SA-induced marker genes in soybean. The yeast one-hybrid verified the combination. The current study suggested that GmbZIP19 is a positive regulator of pathogen resistance and a negative regulator of salt and drought stress tolerance.

Download Full-text

A comprehensive analysis of cotton VQ gene superfamily reveals their potential and extensive roles in regulating cotton abiotic stress

10.21203/rs.3.rs-38226/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Shuxun Yu ◽

Pengyun Chen ◽

Fei wei ◽

Shuaishuai Cheng ◽

Liang Ma ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Abiotic Stress ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Regulatory Elements ◽

Abiotic Stress Response ◽

Salt And Drought Stress ◽

Solid Foundation ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

Peg Stress ◽

Insight Into

Abstract Background Valine-glutamine (VQ) motif-containing proteins play important roles in plant growth, development and abiotic stress response. For many plant species, the VQ genes have been identified and their functions have been described. However, little is known about the origin, evolution, and functions (and underlying mechanisms) of the VQ family genes in cotton. Results In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the characteristics of 268 VQ genes from four Gossypium genomes and found that the VQ proteins evolved into ten clades, and each clade had a similar structural and conservative motif. The expansion of the VQ gene was mainly through segmental duplication, followed by dispersal. Expression analysis revealed that the VQ genes play important roles in response to salt and drought stress, especially GhVQ18 and GhVQ84 were significantly high expression in PEG stress and salt stress. Further analysis showed that GhVQ genes were co-expressed with GhWRKY transcription factors (TFs), and microRNAs (miRNAs) could hybridize to their cis-regulatory elements. Conclusions The results in this study broaden our understanding of the VQ gene family in plants, and the analysis of the structure, conserved elements, and expression patterns of the VQ genes provide a solid foundation for exploring their specific functions in the abiotic stress responses in cotton. Our study provides significant insight into the potential functions of VQ genes in cotton.

Download Full-text

Expression Pattern and Function Analysis of AtPPRT1, a Novel Negative Regulator in ABA and Drought Stress Responses in Arabidopsis

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms20020394 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 394 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Linsen Pei ◽

Lu Peng ◽

Xia Wan ◽

Jie Xiong ◽

Zhibin Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drought Stress ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Function Analysis ◽

Lateral Roots ◽

Negative Regulator ◽

Abiotic Stress Response ◽

Root Tips ◽

E3 Ligases ◽

Ubiquitin E3 Ligase ◽

And Function

Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a fundamental role in plant growth and development, as well as in the responses to abiotic stresses. Previous studies have revealed that many components in ABA and drought stress signaling pathways are ubiquitinated by E3 ligases. In this study, AtPPRT1, a putative C3HC4 zinc-finger ubiquitin E3 ligase, was explored for its role in abiotic stress response in Arabidopsis thaliana. The expression of AtPPRT1 was induced by ABA. In addition, the β-glucuronidase (GUS) gene driven by the AtPPRT1 promoter was more active in the root hair zone and root tips of primary and major lateral roots of young seedlings in the presence of ABA. The assays for seed germination, stomatal aperture, root length, and water deficit demonstrated that the AtPPRT1-overexpressing Arabidopsis was insensitive to ABA and sensitive to drought stress compared with wild-type (WT) plants. The analysis by quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) revealed that the expression of three stress-inducible genes (AtRAB18, AtERD10, and AtKIN1) were upregulated in the atpprt1 mutant and downregulated in AtPPRT1-overexpressing plants, while two ABA hydrolysis genes (AtCYP707A1 and AtCYP707A3) were downregulated in the atpprt1 mutant and upregulated in AtPPRT1-overexpressing plants in the presence of ABA. AtPPRT1 was localized in the mitochondria. Our findings indicate that AtPPRT1 plays a negative role in ABA and drought stress responses.

Download Full-text

Comprehensive genomic characterization of NAC transcription factor family and their response to salt and drought stress in peanut

BMC Plant Biology ◽

10.1186/s12870-020-02678-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 20 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Cuiling Yuan ◽

Chunjuan Li ◽

Xiaodong Lu ◽

Xiaobo Zhao ◽

Caixia Yan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factor ◽

Drought Stress ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Expression Patterns ◽

Functional Characterization ◽

Nac Transcription Factor ◽

Rna Seq ◽

A Genome ◽

Salt And Drought Stress

Abstract Background Peanut is one of the most important oil crop species worldwide. NAC transcription factor (TF) genes play important roles in the salt and drought stress responses of plants by activating or repressing target gene expression. However, little is known about NAC genes in peanut. Results We performed a genome-wide characterization of NAC genes from the diploid wild peanut species Arachis duranensis and Arachis ipaensis, which included analyses of chromosomal locations, gene structures, conserved motifs, expression patterns, and cis-acting elements within their promoter regions. In total, 81 and 79 NAC genes were identified from A. duranensis and A. ipaensis genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of peanut NACs along with their Arabidopsis and rice counterparts categorized these proteins into 18 distinct subgroups. Fifty-one orthologous gene pairs were identified, and 46 orthologues were found to be highly syntenic on the chromosomes of both A. duranensis and A. ipaensis. Comparative RNA sequencing (RNA-seq)-based analysis revealed that the expression of 43 NAC genes was up- or downregulated under salt stress and under drought stress. Among these genes, the expression of 17 genes in cultivated peanut (Arachis hypogaea) was up- or downregulated under both stresses. Moreover, quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR)-based analysis revealed that the expression of most of the randomly selected NAC genes tended to be consistent with the comparative RNA-seq results. Conclusion Our results facilitated the functional characterization of peanut NAC genes, and the genes involved in salt and drought stress responses identified in this study could be potential genes for peanut improvement.

Download Full-text

A Rice Immunophilin Homolog, OsFKBP12, Is a Negative Regulator of Both Biotic and Abiotic Stress Responses

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms21228791 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 21 (22) ◽

pp. 8791

Author(s):

Ming-Yan Cheung ◽

Wan-Kin Auyeung ◽

Kwan-Pok Li ◽

Hon-Ming Lam

Keyword(s):

Abiotic Stress ◽

Pseudomonas Syringae ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Biotic Stress ◽

Higher Plants ◽

Functional Characterization ◽

Negative Regulator ◽

Abiotic Stress Response ◽

Biotic And Abiotic Stress ◽

Higher Plant

A class of proteins that were discovered to bind the immunosuppressant drug FK506, called FK506-binding proteins (FKBPs), are members of a sub-family of immunophilins. Although they were first identified in human, FKBPs exist in all three domains of life. In this report, a rice FKBP12 homolog was first identified as a biotic stress-related gene through suppression subtractive hybridization screening. By ectopically expressing OsFKBP12 in the heterologous model plant system, Arabidopsis thaliana, for functional characterization, OsFKBP12 was found to increase susceptibility of the plant to the pathogen, Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (Pst DC3000). This negative regulatory role of FKBP12 in biotic stress responses was also demonstrated in the AtFKBP12-knockout mutant, which exhibited higher resistance towards Pst DC3000. Furthermore, this higher-plant FKBP12 homolog was also shown to be a negative regulator of salt tolerance. Using yeast two-hybrid tests, an ancient unconventional G-protein, OsYchF1, was identified as an interacting partner of OsFKBP12. OsYchF1 was previously reported as a negative regulator of both biotic and abiotic stresses. Therefore, OsFKBP12 probably also plays negative regulatory roles at the convergence of biotic and abiotic stress response pathways in higher plants.

Download Full-text

Genome-wide identification and comparative analysis of Dof gene family in Brassica napus

10.1101/2020.12.15.422814 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Neeta Lohani ◽

Saeid Babaei ◽

Mohan B. Singh ◽

Prem L. Bhalla

Keyword(s):

Abiotic Stress ◽

Brassica Napus ◽

Gene Family ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Structure Evolution ◽

Oilseed Crop ◽

Evolutionary Analysis ◽

Abiotic Stress Response ◽

Protein Motifs ◽

Genome Wide

AbstractDOF, DNA binding with one finger proteins are plant-specific transcription factors shown to play roles in diverse plant functions. However, a—little is known about DOF protein repertoire of the allopolyploid crop, Brassica napus. Here, we report genome-wide identification and systematic analysis of the Dof transcription factor family in this important oilseed crop. We identified 117 Brassica napus Dof genes (BnaDofs). So far, this is the largest number of Dof genes reported in a single eudicot species. Based on phylogenetic analysis, BnaDofs were classified into nine groups (A, B1, B2. C1, C2.1, C2.2, C3, D1, D2). Most members belonging to a particular group displayed conserved gene structural organisation and similar protein motifs distribution. Chromosomal localisation analysis highlighted the uneven distribution of BnaDofs across all chromosomes. Evolutionary analysis exemplified that the divergence of Brassica genus from Arabidopsis, the whole genome triplication event, and the hybridisation of B. oleracea and B. rapa to form B. napus, followed by gene loss and rearrangements, led to the expansion and divergence of Dof TF gene family in B. napus. Functional annotation of BnaDof proteins, cis-element analysis of their promoters suggested potential roles in organ development, the transition from vegetative to the reproductive stage, light responsiveness, phytohormone responsiveness as well as abiotic stress responses. Furthermore, the transcriptomic analysis highlighted the preferential tissue-specific expression patters of BnaDofs and their role in response to various abiotic stress. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of the molecular structure, evolution, and potential functional roles of Dof genes in plant development and abiotic stress response.

Download Full-text

Genome-wide identification, characterisation, and evolution of ABF/AREB subfamily in nine Rosaceae species and expression analysis in mei (Prunus mume)

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.10785 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 ◽

pp. e10785

Author(s):

Xue Yong ◽

Tangchun Zheng ◽

Xiaokang Zhuo ◽

Sagheer Ahmad ◽

Lulu Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Abiotic Stress ◽

Stress Response ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Leucine Zipper ◽

Ornamental Plants ◽

Evolutionary Relationship ◽

Bzip Transcription Factor ◽

Abiotic Stress Response ◽

Flower Bud ◽

Rosaceae Species

Rosaceae is an important family containing some of the highly evolved fruit and ornamental plants. Abiotic stress responses play key roles in the seasonal growth and development of plants. However, the molecular basis of stress responses remains largely unknown in Rosaceae. Abscisic acid (ABA) is a stress hormone involving abiotic stress response pathways. The ABRE-binding factor/ABA-responsive element-binding protein (ABF/AREB) is a subfamily of the basic domain/leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factor family. It plays an important role in the ABA-mediated signaling pathway. Here, we analyzed the ABF/AREB subfamily genes in nine Rosaceae species. A total of 64 ABF/AREB genes were identified, including 18, 28, and 18 genes in the Rosoideae, Amygdaloideae, and Maloideae traditional subfamilies, respectively. The evolutionary relationship of the ABF/AREB subfamily genes was studied through the phylogenetic analysis, the gene structure and conserved motif composition, Ka/Ks values, and interspecies colinearity. These gene sets were clustered into four groups. In the Prunus ABF/AREB (PmABF) promoters, several cis-elements related to light, hormone, and abiotic stress response were predicted. PmABFs expressed in five different tissues, except PmABF5, which expressed only in buds. In the dormancy stages, PmABF1, 2, 5 and 7 showed differential expression. The expression of PmABF3, 4 and 6 was positively correlated with the ABA concentration. Except for PmABF5, all the PmABFs were sensitive to ABA. Several ABRE elements were contained in the promoters of PmABF1, 3, 6, 7. Based on the findings of our study, we speculate that PmABFs may play a role in flower bud dormancy in P. mume.

Download Full-text

The NAC-type transcription factor OsNAC2 regulates ABA-dependent genes and abiotic stress tolerance in rice

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/srep40641 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 60

Author(s):

Jiabin Shen ◽

Bo Lv ◽

Liqiong Luo ◽

Jianmei He ◽

Chanjuan Mao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factor ◽

Abiotic Stress ◽

Drought Stress ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

Abiotic Stress Tolerance ◽

Late Embryogenesis Abundant ◽

High Salt ◽

Marker Genes ◽

Drought Conditions

Abstract Plants can perceive environmental changes and respond to external stressors. Here, we show that OsNAC2, a member of the NAC transcription factor family, was strongly induced by ABA and osmotic stressors such as drought and high salt. With reduced yields under drought conditions at the flowering stage, OsNAC2 overexpression lines had lower resistance to high salt and drought conditions. RNAi plants showed enhanced tolerance to high salinity and drought stress at both the vegetative and flowering stages. Furthermore, RNAi plants had improved yields after drought stress. A microarray assay indicated that many ABA-dependent stress-related genes were down-regulated in OsNAC2 overexpression lines. We further confirmed that OsNAC2 directly binds the promoters of LATE EMBRYOGENESIS ABUNDANT 3 (OsLEA3) and Stress-Activated Protein Kinases 1 (OsSAPK1), two marker genes in the abiotic stress and ABA response pathways, respectively. Our results suggest that in rice OsNAC2 regulates both abiotic stress responses and ABA-mediated responses, and acts at the junction between the ABA and abiotic stress pathways.

Download Full-text

Analysis of the function of the alfalfa MsLEA-D34 gene in abiotic stress responses and flowering time

Plant and Cell Physiology ◽

10.1093/pcp/pcaa121 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Aimin Lv ◽

Liantai Su ◽

Wuwu Wen ◽

Nana Fan ◽

Peng Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factor ◽

Abiotic Stress ◽

Flowering Time ◽

Hairy Roots ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Intrinsically Disordered Protein ◽

Plant Tolerance ◽

Abiotic Stress Response ◽

Regulatory Pathways ◽

Intrinsically Disordered

Abstract A novel late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) gene, MsLEA-D34, was cloned from alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.). Its function and gene regulatory pathways were studied via overexpression and RNAi of the gene in Arabidopsis and hairy roots of alfalfa, as well as via analyzing key genes related to MsLEA-D34 during developmental phases of alfalfa. The results showed that MsLEA-D34 was a typical intrinsically disordered protein with high ability of protein protection. Overexpression of MsLEA-D34 increased plant tolerance to osmotic and salt stresses, and caused Arabidopsis early flowering under drought and well water conditions. Overexpressing MsLEA-D34 (OE-MsLEA-D34) induced up-regulation of FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT) and GIGANTEA (GI) at flowering phase of Arabidopsis was clearly observed in MsLEA-D34-OE hairy roots of alfalfa, but only FT downregulated in MsLEA-D34-RNAi lines. A positive effect of MsLEA-D34 on FT accumulation was demonstrated in alfalfa hairy roots. Abscisic acid (ABA)-responsive element (ABRE)-binding transcription factor (MsABF2), a novel transcription factor cloned from alfalfa, directly bound to RY element in MsLEA-D34 promoter and activated MsLEA-D34 expression. The above results indicate that MsLEA-D34 can regulate abiotic stress response in plants and influence flowering time of Arabidopsis.

Download Full-text

Potato NAC Transcription Factor StNAC053 Enhances Salt and Drought Tolerance in Transgenic Arabidopsis

International Journal of Molecular Sciences ◽

10.3390/ijms22052568 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 22 (5) ◽

pp. 2568

Author(s):

Qi Wang ◽

Cun Guo ◽

Zhiyuan Li ◽

Jinhao Sun ◽

Zhichao Deng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Transcription Factor ◽

Drought Stress ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Nac Transcription Factor ◽

Transactivation Domain ◽

Wild Type ◽

Gfp Fusion Protein ◽

Salt And Drought Stress ◽

Stress Related Genes ◽

Nac Family

The NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, and CUC2) transcription factors comprise one of the largest transcription factor families in plants and play important roles in stress responses. However, little is known about the functions of potato NAC family members. Here we report the cloning of a potato NAC transcription factor gene StNAC053, which was significantly upregulated after salt, drought, and abscisic acid treatments. Furthermore, the StNAC053-GFP fusion protein was found to be located in the nucleus and had a C-terminal transactivation domain, implying that StNAC053 may function as a transcriptional activator in potato. Notably, Arabidopsis plants overexpressing StNAC053 displayed lower seed germination rates compared to wild-type under exogenous ABA treatment. In addition, the StNAC053 overexpression Arabidopsis lines displayed significantly increased tolerance to salt and drought stress treatments. Moreover, the StNAC053-OE lines were found to have higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) under multiple stress treatments. Interestingly, the expression levels of several stress-related genes including COR15A,DREB1A, ERD11, RAB18, ERF5, and KAT2, were significantly upregulated in these StNAC053-overexpressing lines. Taken together, overexpression of the stress-inducible StNAC053 gene could enhance the tolerances to both salt and drought stress treatments in Arabidopsis, likely by upregulating stress-related genes.

Download Full-text