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A BpbZIP4 transcription factor enhances drought resistance and root development in Betula platyphylla: insights into
Hu Sun1,2, Kaixing Pang1,2, Xuemei Zhou1,2
1College of Forestry, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, Liaoning 110866, China.
Abstract:
Drought is a major abiotic stress that poses a significant threat to plants. Basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors (TFs) are important for plant stress signal transduction. However, the specific functions and molecular mechanisms of bZIP TFs under drought stress are still unclear. In this study, a BpbZIP4 TF of Betula platyphylla (birch) that responds strongly to drought stress was identified. Transgenic birch plants with BpbZIP4 overexpression and RNA interference were developed for gain- and loss-of-function assays. Results from phenotypic, staining, and physiological analyses showed that BpbZIP4 significantly enhances drought resistance and promotes root growth in birch. A four-layer drought-responsive gene regulatory network (GRN) was constructed based on BpbZIP4 transgenic lines. Chromatin immunoprecipitation-polymerase chain reaction (ChIP-PCR) and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays verified the putative interactions among genes at different hierarchical levels, confirming the reliability of the GRN. TF-Centered Y1H, ChIP, and β-glucuronidase (GUS) assays revealed that BpbZIP4 regulates the expression of second-layer TFs in the GRN by binding to two novel elements and one photosynthesis-responsive element. Furthermore, six randomly selected second-layer GRN TFs (BpMYB61, BpBEL1, BpWOX4, BpbHLH100, BpZAT11, and BpHB17), when transformed into birch plants, significantly influence birch's drought tolerance. These results indicate that BpbZIP4 regulates second-layer TFs, thereby hierarchically relaying signals to bottom-layer functional genes, engaging multiple biological pathways, and ultimately enhancing drought resistance in birch. Collectively, these findings clarify the drought regulatory mechanism of BpbZIP4 and identify additional key genes for breeding drought-resistant birch varieties.
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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...
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