Expression of TaWRKY44, a wheat WRKY gene, in transgenic tobacco confers multiple abiotic stress tolerances

The WRKY transcription factors have been reported to be involved in various plant physiological and biochemical processes. In this study, we successfully assembled ten unigenes from expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of wheat and designated them as TaWRKY44–TaWRKY53, respectively. Among these genes, a s...

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Main Authors: Xiatian eWang, Jian eZeng, Ying eLi, Xiaoli eRong, Jiutong eSun, Tao eSun, Miao eLi, Lianzhe eWang, Ying eFeng, Ruihong eChai, Mingjie eChen, Junli eChang, Kexiu eLi, Guangxiao eYang, Guangyuan eHe
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2015-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Plant Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpls.2015.00615/full
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author Xiatian eWang
Jian eZeng
Ying eLi
Xiaoli eRong
Jiutong eSun
Tao eSun
Miao eLi
Lianzhe eWang
Ying eFeng
Ruihong eChai
Mingjie eChen
Junli eChang
Kexiu eLi
Guangxiao eYang
Guangyuan eHe
author_facet Xiatian eWang
Jian eZeng
Ying eLi
Xiaoli eRong
Jiutong eSun
Tao eSun
Miao eLi
Lianzhe eWang
Ying eFeng
Ruihong eChai
Mingjie eChen
Junli eChang
Kexiu eLi
Guangxiao eYang
Guangyuan eHe
author_sort Xiatian eWang
collection DOAJ
description The WRKY transcription factors have been reported to be involved in various plant physiological and biochemical processes. In this study, we successfully assembled ten unigenes from expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of wheat and designated them as TaWRKY44–TaWRKY53, respectively. Among these genes, a subgroup I gene, TaWRKY44, was found to be upregulated by treatments with PEG6000, NaCl, 4°C, abscisic acid (ABA), H2O2 and gibberellin (GA). The TaWRKY44-GFP fusion protein was localized to the nucleus of onion epidermal cells, and TaWRKY44 was able to bind to the core DNA sequences of TTGACC and TTAACC in yeast. The N-terminal of TaWRKY44 showed transcriptional activation activity. Expression of TaWRKY44 in tobacco plants conferred drought and salt tolerance and transgenic tobacco exhibited a higher survival rate, relative water content (RWC), soluble sugar, proline and superoxide dismutase (SOD) content, as well as higher activities of catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD), but less ion leakage (IL), lower contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), and H2O2. In addition, expression of TaWRKY44 also increased the seed germination rate in the transgenic lines under osmotic stress conditions while exhibiting a lower H2O2 content and higher SOD, CAT and POD activities. Expression of TaWRKY44 upregulated the expression of some reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related genes and stress-responsive genes in tobacco under osmotic stresses. These data demonstrate that TaWRKY44 may act as a positive regulator in drought/salt/osmotic stress responses by either efficient ROS elimination through direct or indirect activation of the cellular antioxidant systems or activation of stress-associated gene expression.
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spelling doaj.art-6e94c3671eb24fa5ac546e30d494187b2022-12-21T23:54:50ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2015-08-01610.3389/fpls.2015.00615138298Expression of TaWRKY44, a wheat WRKY gene, in transgenic tobacco confers multiple abiotic stress tolerancesXiatian eWang0Jian eZeng1Ying eLi2Xiaoli eRong3Jiutong eSun4Tao eSun5Miao eLi6Lianzhe eWang7Ying eFeng8Ruihong eChai9Mingjie eChen10Junli eChang11Kexiu eLi12Guangxiao eYang13Guangyuan eHe14Huazhong University of Science & TechnologyHuazhong University of Science & TechnologyHuazhong University of Science & TechnologyHuazhong University of Science & TechnologyHuazhong University of Science & TechnologyHuazhong University of Science & TechnologyHuazhong University of Science & TechnologyHuazhong University of Science & TechnologyHuazhong University of Science & TechnologyHuazhong University of Science & TechnologyHuazhong University of Science & TechnologyHuazhong University of Science & TechnologyHuazhong University of Science & TechnologyHuazhong University of Science & TechnologyHuazhong University of Science & TechnologyThe WRKY transcription factors have been reported to be involved in various plant physiological and biochemical processes. In this study, we successfully assembled ten unigenes from expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of wheat and designated them as TaWRKY44–TaWRKY53, respectively. Among these genes, a subgroup I gene, TaWRKY44, was found to be upregulated by treatments with PEG6000, NaCl, 4°C, abscisic acid (ABA), H2O2 and gibberellin (GA). The TaWRKY44-GFP fusion protein was localized to the nucleus of onion epidermal cells, and TaWRKY44 was able to bind to the core DNA sequences of TTGACC and TTAACC in yeast. The N-terminal of TaWRKY44 showed transcriptional activation activity. Expression of TaWRKY44 in tobacco plants conferred drought and salt tolerance and transgenic tobacco exhibited a higher survival rate, relative water content (RWC), soluble sugar, proline and superoxide dismutase (SOD) content, as well as higher activities of catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD), but less ion leakage (IL), lower contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), and H2O2. In addition, expression of TaWRKY44 also increased the seed germination rate in the transgenic lines under osmotic stress conditions while exhibiting a lower H2O2 content and higher SOD, CAT and POD activities. Expression of TaWRKY44 upregulated the expression of some reactive oxygen species (ROS)-related genes and stress-responsive genes in tobacco under osmotic stresses. These data demonstrate that TaWRKY44 may act as a positive regulator in drought/salt/osmotic stress responses by either efficient ROS elimination through direct or indirect activation of the cellular antioxidant systems or activation of stress-associated gene expression.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpls.2015.00615/fullAbiotic stress tolerancewheatWRKYAntioxidant systemsROS eliminationStress-associated gene
spellingShingle Xiatian eWang
Jian eZeng
Ying eLi
Xiaoli eRong
Jiutong eSun
Tao eSun
Miao eLi
Lianzhe eWang
Ying eFeng
Ruihong eChai
Mingjie eChen
Junli eChang
Kexiu eLi
Guangxiao eYang
Guangyuan eHe
Expression of TaWRKY44, a wheat WRKY gene, in transgenic tobacco confers multiple abiotic stress tolerances
Frontiers in Plant Science
Abiotic stress tolerance
wheat
WRKY
Antioxidant systems
ROS elimination
Stress-associated gene
title Expression of TaWRKY44, a wheat WRKY gene, in transgenic tobacco confers multiple abiotic stress tolerances
title_full Expression of TaWRKY44, a wheat WRKY gene, in transgenic tobacco confers multiple abiotic stress tolerances
title_fullStr Expression of TaWRKY44, a wheat WRKY gene, in transgenic tobacco confers multiple abiotic stress tolerances
title_full_unstemmed Expression of TaWRKY44, a wheat WRKY gene, in transgenic tobacco confers multiple abiotic stress tolerances
title_short Expression of TaWRKY44, a wheat WRKY gene, in transgenic tobacco confers multiple abiotic stress tolerances
title_sort expression of tawrky44 a wheat wrky gene in transgenic tobacco confers multiple abiotic stress tolerances
topic Abiotic stress tolerance
wheat
WRKY
Antioxidant systems
ROS elimination
Stress-associated gene
url http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpls.2015.00615/full
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