Transcriptional Regulation of the <i>Acer truncatum</i> B. Response to Drought and the Contribution of <i>AtruNAC36</i> to Drought Tolerance
Drought stress is one of the major environmental factors severely restricting plant development and productivity. <i>Acer truncatum</i> B, which is an economically important tree species, is highly tolerant to drought conditions, but the underlying molecular regulatory mechanisms remain...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Book |
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MDPI AG,
2023-06-01T00:00:00Z.
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| Summary: | Drought stress is one of the major environmental factors severely restricting plant development and productivity. <i>Acer truncatum</i> B, which is an economically important tree species, is highly tolerant to drought conditions, but the underlying molecular regulatory mechanisms remain relatively unknown. In this study, <i>A. truncatum</i> seedlings underwent a drought treatment (water withheld for 0, 3, 7, and 12 days), after which they were re-watered for 5 days. Physiological indices were measured and a transcriptome sequencing analysis was performed to reveal drought response-related regulatory mechanisms. In comparison to the control, the drought treatment caused a significant increase in antioxidant enzyme activities, with levels rising up to seven times, and relative electrical conductivity from 14.5% to 78.4%, but the relative water content decreased from 88.3% to 23.4%; these indices recovered somewhat after the 5-day re-watering period. The RNA sequencing analysis identified 9126 differentially expressed genes (DEGs), which were primarily involved with abscisic acid responses, and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling. These DEGs included 483 (5.29%) transcription factor genes from 53 families, including <i>ERF</i>, <i>MYB</i>, and <i>NAC</i>. A co-expression network analysis was conducted and three important modules were analyzed to identify hub genes, one of which (<i>AtruNAC36</i>) was examined to clarify its function. The AtruNAC36 protein was localized to the nucleus and had a C-terminal transactivation domain. Moreover, it bounded specifically to the NACRS element. The overexpression of <i>AtruNAC36</i> in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> resulted in increased drought tolerance by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities. These findings provide important insights into the transcriptional regulation mediating the <i>A. truncatum</i> response to drought. Furthermore, <i>AtruNAC36</i> may be relevant for breeding forest trees resistant to drought stress. |
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| Item Description: | 10.3390/antiox12071339 2076-3921 |