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HcLEA113, a late embryogenesis abundant protein gene, positively regulates drought‐stress responses in kenaf.

Authors :
Luo, Dengjie
Wang, Caijin
Mubeen, Samavia
Rehman, Muzammal
Cao, Shan
Yue, Jiao
Pan, Jiao
Jin, Gang
Li, Ru
Chen, Tao
Chen, Peng
Source :
Physiologia Plantarum; Jul/Aug2024, Vol. 176 Issue 4, p1-15, 15p
Publication Year :
2024

Abstract

Late embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins have been widely recognized for their role in various abiotic stress responses in higher plants. Nevertheless, the specific mechanism responsible for the function of LEA proteins in plants has not yet been explored. This research involved the isolation and characterization of HcLEA113 from kenaf, revealing a significant increase in its expression in response to drought stress. When HcLEA113 was introduced into yeast, it resulted in an improved survival rate under drought conditions. Furthermore, the overexpression of HcLEA113 in tobacco plants led to enhanced tolerance to drought stress. Specifically, HcLEA113‐OE plants exhibited higher germination rates, longer root lengths, greater chlorophyll content, and higher relative water content under drought stress compared to wild‐type (WT) plants, while their relative conductivity was significantly lower than that of WT plants. Further physiological measurements revealed that the proline content, soluble sugars, and antioxidant activities of WT and HcLEA113‐OE tobacco leaves increased significantly under drought stress, with greater changes in HcLEA113‐OE plants than WT. The increase in hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), superoxide anions (O2−), and malondialdehyde (MDA) content was significantly lower in HcLEA113‐OE lines than in WT plants. Additionally, HcLEA113‐OE plants can activate reactive oxygen species (ROS)‐ and osmotic‐related genes in response to drought stress. On the other hand, silencing the HcLEA113 gene through virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) in kenaf plants led to notable growth suppression when exposed to drought conditions, manifesting as decreased plant height and dry weight. Meanwhile, antioxidant enzymes' activity significantly decreased and the ROS content increased. This study offers valuable insights for future research on the genetic engineering of drought resistance in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
00319317
Volume :
176
Issue :
4
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
Physiologia Plantarum
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
179298035
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.14506