, a Thaumatin-like Protein Gene, Confers Tolerance to Salt and Drought Stresses in Broccoli ( L. var. ).

Plant thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs) play pleiotropic roles in defending against biotic and abiotic stresses. However, the functions of TLPs in broccoli, which is one of the major vegetables among the varieties, remain largely unknown. In the present study, was identified in broccoli, and displayed remarkably inducible expression patterns by abiotic stress. The ectopic overexpression of conferred increased tolerance to high salt and drought conditions in . Similarly, -overexpressing broccoli transgenic lines significantly improved tolerance to salt and drought stresses. These results demonstrated that positively regulates drought and salt tolerance. Transcriptome data displayed that may function by regulating phytohormone (ABA, ethylene and auxin)-mediated signaling pathways, hydrolase and oxidoreductase activity, sulfur compound synthesis, and the differential expression of histone variants. Further studies confirmed that RESPONSE TO DESICCATION 2 (RD2), RESPONSIVE TO DEHYDRATION 22 (RD22), VASCULAR PLANT ONE-ZINC FINGER 2 (VOZ2), SM-LIKE 1B (LSM1B) and MALATE DEHYDROGENASE (MDH) physically interacted with bolTLP1, which implied that bolTLP1 could directly interact with these proteins to confer abiotic stress tolerance in broccoli. These findings provide new insights into the function and regulation of bolTLP1, and suggest potential applications for bolTLP1 in breeding broccoli and other crops with increased tolerance to salt and drought stresses.