GsERFenhances aluminum tolerance through an ethylene-mediated pathway inArabidopsis thaliana

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>The ethylene response factor (ERF) transcription factor is a subfamily of AP2/ERF superfamily in plants, which plays multiple roles in plant growth and development as well as stress response. In this study, we found that the <jats:italic>GsERF</jats:italic> gene from BW69 line of wild soybean held a constitutive expression pattern and induced by aluminum stress with more transcripts in soybean root. The putative GsERF protein containing an AP2 domain was in the nucleus and transactivation activity. In addition, the overexpression of the <jats:italic>GsERF</jats:italic> gene enhanced root relative length rate in Arabidopsis and shallow staining by hematoxylin under the treatments of AlCl<jats:sub>3</jats:sub>. The ethylene synthesis related genes such as <jats:italic>ACS4, ACS5</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>ACS6</jats:italic> are upregulated in the <jats:italic>GsERF</jats:italic> overexpressed plants than those in wild type plants under the treatment of AlCl<jats:sub>3</jats:sub>. Furthermore, expression levels of stress/ABA-responsive marker genes, including <jats:italic>ABI1, ABI2, ABI4, ABI5, RD29B</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>RD22</jats:italic> in transgenic lines compared with those in wild type Arabidopsis were affected by AlCl<jats:sub>3</jats:sub> treatments. Taken together, the results indicate that overexpression of <jats:italic>GsERF</jats:italic> may enhance aluminum tolerance through an ethylene-mediated pathway and/or ABA signaling pathway in <jats:italic>Arabidopsis thaliana</jats:italic>.</jats:p>

Recent Advances in Understanding Mechanisms of Plant Tolerance and Response to Aluminum Toxicity

“…Moreover, Chen et al showed that GmGRPL conferred Al tolerance in Arabidopsis through regulation of the level of IAA and ethylene and improvement of antioxidant activity [38]. Similarly, overexpression of the GsERF gene enhanced Al tolerance of Arabidopsis through an ethylene-mediated pathway [156]. In addition, ABA was involved in regulating Al tolerance [157].…”