Cloning and overexpression of PeWRKY31 from Populus × euramericana enhances salt and biological tolerance in transgenic Nicotiana.
BACKGROUND
As important forest tree species, biological stress and soil salinization are important factors that restrict the growth of Populus × euramericana. WRKYs are important transcription factors in plants that can regulate plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, PeWRKY31 was isolated from Populus × euramericana, and its bioinformation, salt resistance and insect resistance were analyzed. This study aims to provide guidance for producing salt-resistant and insect-resistant poplars.


RESULTS
PeWRKY31 has a predicted open reading frame (ORF) of 1842 bp that encodes 613 amino acids. The predicted protein is the unstable, acidic, and hydrophilic protein with a molecular weight of 66.34 kDa, and it has numerous potential phosphorylation sites, chiefly on serines and threonines. PeWRKY31 is a zinc-finger C2H2 type-II WRKY TF that is closely related to WRKY TFs of Populus tomentosa, and localizes to the nucleus. A PeWRKY31 overexpression vector was constructed and transformed into Nicotiana tabacum L. Overexpression of PeWRKY31 improved the salt tolerance and insect resistance of the transgenic tobacco. Transcriptome sequencing and KEGG enrichment analysis showed the elevated expression of genes related to glutathione metabolism, plant hormone signal transduction, and MAPK signaling pathways, the functions of which were important in plant salt tolerance and insect resistance in the overexpressing tobacco line.


CONCLUSIONS
PeWRKY31 was isolated from Populus × euramericana. Overexpression of PeWRKY31 improved the resistance of transgenic plant to salt stress and pest stress. The study provides references for the generation of stress-resistant lines with potentially great economic benefit.
['Yu|Xiaoyue|X|', 'Pan|Yu|Y|', 'Dong|Yan|Y|', 'Lu|Bin|B|', 'Zhang|Chao|C|', 'Yang|Minsheng|M|http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2488-267X', 'Zuo|Lihui|L|']
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence D000818:Animals D003001:Cloning, Molecular D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant D007313:Insecta D010802:Phylogeny D010940:Plant Proteins D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified D032107:Populus D055049:Salt Tolerance D013347:Subcellular Fractions D014026:Tobacco D059467:Transcriptome
WRKY Insect resistance Salt tolerance Transcriptome Genetic transformation