MbWRKY53, a WRKY Transcription Factor, Contributes to Cold and Drought Stress Tolerance in Transgenic .

Apple is an important horticultural crop, but various adverse environmental factors can threaten the quality and yield of its fruits. The ability of apples to resist stress mainly depends on the rootstock. (L.) Borkh. is a commonly used rootstock in Northeast China. In this study, it was used as the experimental material, and the target gene was screened through transcriptome analysis and Real-Time Quantitative Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) after cold and drought treatment. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that this transcription factor (TF) belonged to the WRKY TF family, and its encoded protein was localized in the nucleus. RT-qPCR showed that the gene was more easily expressed in roots and young leaves and is more responsive to cold and drought stimuli. Functional validation in confirmed that can enhance plant tolerance to cold and drought stress. Furthermore, by analyzing the expression levels of genes related to cold and drought stress in transgenic lines, it was inferred that this gene can regulate the expression of stress-related genes through multiple pathways such as the CBF pathway, SOS pathway, Pro synthesis pathway, and ABA-dependent pathways, enhancing the adaptability of transgenic to cold and drought environments.