The role of senescence-associated gene101 (PagSAG101a) in the regulation of secondary xylem formation in poplar.

Wood is produced by the accumulation of secondary xylem via proliferation and differentiation of the cambium cells in woody plants. Identifying the regulators involved in this process remains a challenging task. In this study, we isolated PagSAG101a, the homolog of Arabidopsis thaliana SAG101, from a hybrid poplar (Populus alba × Populus glandulosa) clone 84K and investigated its role in secondary xylem development. PagSAG101a was expressed predominantly in lignified stems and localized in the nucleus. Compared with non-transgenic 84K plants, transgenic plants overexpressing PagSAG101a displayed increased plant height, internode number, stem diameter, xylem width, and secondary cell wall thickness, while opposite phenotypes were observed for PagSAG101a knock-out plants. Transcriptome analyses revealed that differentially expressed genes were enriched for those controlling cambium cell division activity and subsequent secondary cell wall deposition during xylem formation. In addition, the tandem CCCH zinc finger protein PagC3H17, which positively regulates secondary xylem width and secondary wall thickening in poplar, could bind to the promoter of PagSAG101a and mediate the regulation of xylem differentiation. Our results support that PagSAG101a, downstream of PagC3H17, functions in wood development.