Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 16, 2025

Measuring Gene Expression in Bombarded Barley Aleurone Layers with Increased Throughput
Published on: March 30, 2018
Arabidopsis transcription factor WRKY45 confers cadmium tolerance via activating PCS1 and PCS2 expression
Fangjian Li1, Yaru Deng1, Yan Liu1
1Root Biology Center, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China; College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China.
Abstract:
Cadmium (Cd) has long been recognized as toxic pollutant to crops worldwide. The biosynthesis of glutathione-dependent phytochelatin (PC) plays crucial roles in the detoxification of Cd in plants. However, its regulatory mechanism remains elusive. Here, we revealed that Arabidopsis transcription factor WRKY45 confers Cd tolerance via promoting the expression of PC synthesis-related genes PCS1 and PCS2, respectively. Firstly, we found that Cd stress induces the transcript levels of WRKY45 and its protein abundance. Accordingly, in contrast to wild type Col-0, the increased sensitivity to Cd is observed in wrky45 mutant, while overexpressing WRKY45 plants are more tolerant to Cd. Secondly, quantitative real-time PCR revealed that the expression of AtPCS1 and AtPCS2 is stimulated in overexpressing WRKY45 plants, but decreased in wrky45 mutant. Thirdly, WRKY45 promotes the expression of PCS1 and PCS2, electrophoresis mobility shift assay analysis uncovered that WRKY45 directly binds to the W-box cis-element of PCS2 promoter. Lastly, the overexpression of WRKY45 in Col-0 leads to more accumulation of PCs in Arabidopsis, and the overexpression of PCS1 or PCS2 in wrky45 mutant plants rescues the phenotypes induced by Cd stress. In conclusion, our results show that AtWRKY45 positively regulates Cd tolerance in Arabidopsis via activating PCS1 and PCS2 expression.
More Related Videos
04:11Pattern-Triggered Oxidative Burst and Seedling Growth Inhibition Assays in Arabidopsis thaliana
Published on: May 21, 2019
11:04Geomagnetic Field Gmf and Plant Evolution: Investigating the Effects of Gmf Reversal on Arabidopsis thaliana Development and Gene Expression
Published on: November 30, 2015
Related Concept Videos
Cell Signaling in Plants
Transcription
Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA sequence by RNA polymerase. It is the first step in producing a protein from a gene sequence. Additionally, many other proteins and regulatory sequences are involved in the proper synthesis of messenger RNA (mRNA). Regulation of transcription is responsible for the differentiation of all the different types of cells and often for the proper cellular response to environmental signals.
Transcription Can Produce Different Kinds...
C4 Pathway and CAM
C4 Pathway
The C4 pathway is used by plants such as...
Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss
Biological Clocks and Seasonal Responses