The transcription factorenhances drought tolerance inby activating dehydrin and ROS scavenging through interaction with BpRAV1
Source: PubMed Central Open Access, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine
Abstract Although ERF transcription factors (TFs) play critical roles in abiotic stress tolerance, the molecular mechanisms underlying this role remain incompletely understood. This study identifiedin birch () as a drought-responsive TF through co-expression regulatory network analysis. Expression ofwas stalwartly induced by drought stress, and drought treatment markedly boosted its promoter activity. Functional analyses demonstrated that overexpression ofmarkedly improved drought tolerance compared with wild-type (WT) birch, whereas its repression increased drought sensitivity. Overexpression lines also exhibited higher antioxidant enzyme activities and proline content relative to WT. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-polymerase chain reaction, yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase (dual-LUC) assays confirmed thatdirectly binds to G-box elements in the promoters of(dehydrin) and(allene oxide synthase), activating their transcription. Furthermore, overexpression ofenhanced drought tolerance and promoted reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging in transgenic plants. Protein–protein interaction analysis using bimolecular fluorescence complementation revealed that BpERF1A interacts with BpRAV1 to form a heterodimer, which further enhances BpERF1A binding to thepromoter and its transcriptional activation. Collectively, these findings establish a central role for theregulatory module in drought acclimation and highlight its synergistic interaction with BpRAV1, providing an effective st
Abstract
Abstract Although ERF transcription factors (TFs) play critical roles in abiotic stress tolerance, the molecular mechanisms underlying this role remain incompletely understood. This study identifiedin birch () as a drought-responsive TF through co-expression regulatory network analysis. Expression ofwas stalwartly induced by drought stress, and drought treatment markedly boosted its promoter activity. Functional analyses demonstrated that overexpression ofmarkedly improved drought tolerance compared with wild-type (WT) birch, whereas its repression increased drought sensitivity. Overexpression lines also exhibited higher antioxidant enzyme activities and proline content relative to WT. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-polymerase chain reaction, yeast one-hybrid and dual-luciferase (dual-LUC) assays confirmed thatdirectly binds to G-box elements in the promoters of(dehydrin) and(allene oxide synthase), activating their transcription. Furthermore, overexpression ofenhanced drought tolerance and promoted reactive oxygen species (ROS) scavenging in transgenic plants. Protein–protein interaction analysis using bimolecular fluorescence complementation revealed that BpERF1A interacts with BpRAV1 to form a heterodimer, which further enhances BpERF1A binding to thepromoter and its transcriptional activation. Collectively, these findings establish a central role for theregulatory module in drought acclimation and highlight its synergistic interaction with BpRAV1, providing an effective strategy to enhance drought tolerance through improved ROS scavenging capacity.