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WRKY22 Transcription Factor from Iris laevigata Regulates Flowering Time and Resistance to Salt and Drought

Authors :
Lijuan Fan
Zhaoqian Niu
Gongfa Shi
Ziyi Song
Qianqian Yang
Sheng Zhou
Ling Wang
Source :
Plants, Vol 13, Iss 9, p 1191 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Iris laevigata Fisch. is an excellent ornamental plant in cold regions due to its unique ornamental ability and strong cold resistance. However, the flowering period of the population is only about 20 days, greatly limiting its potential uses in landscaping and the cutting flower industry. In addition, I. laevigata is often challenged with various abiotic stresses including high salinity and drought in its native habitats. Thus, breeding novel cultivars with delayed flowering time and higher resistance to abiotic stress is of high importance. In this study, we utilized sequencing data from the I. laevigata transcriptome to identify WRKYs and characterized IlWRKY22, a key transcription factor that modulates flowering time and abiotic stress responses. IlWRKY22 is induced by salt and drought stress. We cloned IlWRKY22 and found that it is a Group IIe WRKY localized in the nucleus. Overexpressing IlWRKY22 in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. and Nicotiana tabacum L. resulted in a delayed flowering time in the transgenic plants. We created transgenic N. tabacum overexpressing IlWRKY22, which showed significantly improved resistance to both salt and drought compared to the control plants. Thus, our study revealed a unique dual function of IlWRKY22, an excellent candidate gene for breeding novel Iris cultivars of desirable traits.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
22237747
Volume :
13
Issue :
9
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Plants
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.9d7a9f11a8134648ae181043fe11d938
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13091191