Liang Jianxiang, Zhou Linying, Hu Xin, Lu Jiang, Wang Wenjia, Zhu Qiang
Center for Viticulture and Enology, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, 200240, China; Basic Forestry and Proteomics Center (BFPC), HaiXia Institute for Science and Technology, College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fujian, China.
Basic Forestry and Proteomics Center (BFPC), HaiXia Institute for Science and Technology, College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, 350002, Fujian, China.
Plant Physiol Biochem. 2025 Jul 3;228:110203. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110203.
Ma bamboo (Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro) is a key giant bamboo in South Asia, highly sensitive to abiotic stresses. Dehydration-Responsive Element-Binding (DREB) transcription factors (TFs) are an important gene family involved in plant growth, metabolic regulation, and environmental responses. Although the roles of DREB TFs in plant growth, metabolic regulation, and environmental responses are well studied, little is known in Ma bamboo. To address this gap, we systematically identified and functuonally predicted DREB genes in Ma bamboo, with emphasis on their potential involvement in stress response mechanisms. Through genome-wide analysis, 42 DlDREBs distributed across 6 subfamilies were identified. Integrative analyses encompassin cis-element, chromosomal localization, phylogenetic relationships, protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, and gene ontology (GO) annotations revealed their putative roles in developmental processes, metabolic modulation, and stress adaptation. RT-qPCR profiling demonstrated that eight DlDREBs exhibit distinct and stress-specific expression patterns under cold, salt, and drought treatments, underscoring their pivotal contributions to abiotic stress resilience. Three candidate genes (DREB9-A, DREB10-B, and DREB12-C) were prioritized for functional validation. Subsequent cloning, sequence characterization, subcellular localization analysis, and DNA binding assays confirmed their regulatory potential. Notably, DREB10-B, and DREB12-C were found to directly bind the promoter of GA2ox7, a key gene implicated in abiotic stress signaling, suggesting their mechanistic role in stress-responsive pathways. Furthermore, transient transformation assays in tobacco and yeast transformation experiments demonstrated that overexpression of DREB10-B and DREB12-C may enhance plant stress tolerance. In summary, this study provides a theoretical basis for clarifying the molecular mechanism of the abiotic stress responses of the DREB gene family in Ma bamboo.
麻竹（Dendrocalamus latiflorus Munro）是南亚一种重要的大型竹子，对非生物胁迫高度敏感。脱水响应元件结合（DREB）转录因子是参与植物生长、代谢调控和环境响应的重要基因家族。尽管DREB转录因子在植物生长、代谢调控和环境响应中的作用已得到充分研究，但在麻竹中却知之甚少。为了填补这一空白，我们系统地鉴定了麻竹中的DREB基因并对其功能进行了预测，重点关注它们在胁迫响应机制中的潜在作用。通过全基因组分析，共鉴定出42个分布在6个亚家族中的DlDREB基因。综合分析包括顺式元件、染色体定位、系统发育关系、蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用（PPI）网络和基因本体（GO）注释，揭示了它们在发育过程、代谢调节和胁迫适应中的假定作用。RT-qPCR分析表明，8个DlDREB基因在冷、盐和干旱处理下表现出不同的、特定于胁迫的表达模式，突出了它们对非生物胁迫抗性的关键贡献。三个候选基因（DREB9-A、DREB10-B和DREB12-C）被优先进行功能验证。随后的克隆、序列表征、亚细胞定位分析和DNA结合试验证实了它们的调控潜力。值得注意的是，发现DREB10-B和DREB12-C直接结合GA2ox7的启动子，GA2ox7是一个参与非生物胁迫信号传导的关键基因，表明它们在胁迫响应途径中的作用机制。此外，烟草中的瞬时转化试验和酵母转化实验表明，DREB10-B和DREB12-C的过表达可能增强植物的胁迫耐受性。总之，本研究为阐明麻竹DREB基因家族非生物胁迫响应的分子机制提供了理论依据。
