Zhang Xue, Hu Tao, Chang Yanting, Xia Mengsi, Ma Yanjun, Deng Yayun, Jiang Zehui, Zhang Wenbo
International Center for Bamboo and Rattan, No. 8, Futong Eastern Avenue, Wangjing Area, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100102, China.
Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration/Beijing for Bamboo & Rattan Science and Technology, No. 8, Futong Eastern Avenue, Wangjing Area, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100102, China.
Plants (Basel). 2025 Jun 17;14(12):1857. doi: 10.3390/plants14121857.
Plant-specific WUSCHEL (WUS)-related homeobox (WOX) family of transcription factors are involved in apical meristem maintenance, embryogenesis, lateral organ development, and hormone signaling. Among the members of this family, WOX1 is known to play essential roles in many species. However, the function of the peony 'Feng Dan' ( L.) () remains unknown. The initial bioinformatic analysis revealed that belongs to the modern clade of the gene family and has a highly conserved homeodomain (HD), the WUS motif, the STF-box, and the MAEWEST/WOX4-box. Subsequent heterologous overexpression in revealed that promotes root growth, early shoot initiation, and flowering. The root vascular tissues, especially the arrangement and size of xylem cells, were different between the -overexpressing transgenics and the wild-type plants, and the pericycle cells adjacent to the xylem divided more easily in the transgenics than in the wild type. Furthermore, under in vitro conditions, the transgenic leaf explants exhibited more callus induction and differentiation than the wild-type leaf explants. Thus, the study's findings provide novel insights into the role of in promoting root development and callus tissue induction and differentiation, serving as a reference for developing an efficient regeneration system for the peony.
植物特有的与WUSCHEL（WUS）相关的同源异型框（WOX）转录因子家族参与顶端分生组织维持、胚胎发生、侧器官发育和激素信号传导。在该家族成员中，已知WOX1在许多物种中发挥重要作用。然而，牡丹‘凤丹’（Paeonia ostii T. Hong & J. X. Zhang）中WOX1的功能仍不清楚。初步的生物信息学分析表明，Paeonia ostii WOX1（PoWOX1）属于WOX基因家族的现代分支，具有高度保守的同源异型结构域（HD）、WUS基序、STF框和MAEWEST/WOX4框。随后在拟南芥中的异源过表达表明，PoWOX1促进根生长、早期芽起始和开花。过表达PoWOX1的转基因植株与野生型植株的根维管组织不同，尤其是木质部细胞的排列和大小，并且转基因植株中与木质部相邻的中柱鞘细胞比野生型更容易分裂。此外，在体外条件下，转基因叶片外植体比野生型叶片外植体表现出更多的愈伤组织诱导和分化。因此，该研究结果为PoWOX1在促进根发育以及愈伤组织诱导和分化中的作用提供了新的见解，为建立高效的牡丹再生体系提供了参考。
