Abstract
WRKY transcription factors are reported to be involved in defense regulation, stress response and plant growth and development. However, the precise role of WRKY transcription factors in abiotic stress tolerance is not completely understood, especially in crops. In this study, we identified and cloned 10 WRKY genes from genome of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). TaWRKY10, a gene induced by multiple stresses, was selected for further investigation. TaWRKY10 was upregulated by treatment with polyethylene glycol, NaCl, cold and H2O2. Result of Southern blot indicates that the wheat genome contains three copies of TaWRKY10. The TaWRKY10 protein is localized in the nucleus and functions as a transcriptional activator. Overexpression of TaWRKY10 in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) resulted in enhanced drought and salt stress tolerance, mainly demonstrated by the transgenic plants exhibiting of increased germination rate, root length, survival rate, and relative water content under these stress conditions. Further investigation showed that transgenic plants also retained higher proline and soluble sugar contents, and lower reactive oxygen species and malonaldehyde contents. Moreover, overexpression of the TaWRKY10 regulated the expression of a series of stress related genes. Taken together, our results indicate that TaWRKY10 functions as a positive factor under drought and salt stresses by regulating the osmotic balance, ROS scavenging and transcription of stress related genes.
Publication types
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Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
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Adaptation, Physiological
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Animals
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Blotting, Southern
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Blotting, Western
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Cloning, Molecular
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Cold Temperature
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Droughts*
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Germination / physiology
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Hydrogen Peroxide / pharmacology
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Immunoenzyme Techniques
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Immunoglobulin G / immunology
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Nicotiana / genetics
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Nicotiana / growth & development
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Nicotiana / metabolism*
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Oxidants / pharmacology
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Plant Proteins / genetics
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Plant Proteins / immunology
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Plant Proteins / metabolism*
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Plants, Genetically Modified / genetics
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Plants, Genetically Modified / metabolism*
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RNA, Messenger / genetics
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Rabbits
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Reactive Oxygen Species / metabolism
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Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
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Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
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Salt Tolerance
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Sodium Chloride / pharmacology
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Stress, Physiological*
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Subcellular Fractions
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Transcription Factors / genetics
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Transcription Factors / metabolism*
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Transcriptional Activation
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Triticum / genetics
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Triticum / metabolism*
Substances
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Immunoglobulin G
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Oxidants
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Plant Proteins
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RNA, Messenger
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Reactive Oxygen Species
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Transcription Factors
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Sodium Chloride
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Hydrogen Peroxide
Grants and funding
This work was supported by the International Science and Technology Cooperation Key Projects of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (Grant No. 2009DFB30340), the National Genetically Modified New Varieties of Major Projects of China (2011ZX08002-004, 2011ZX08010-004), the Key Projects of Science and Technology Research of the Ministry of Education of China (Grant No. 109105) and the Wuhan Municipal Science and Technology research project (Grant No. 201120922286). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.