PeSTZ1 confers salt stress tolerance by scavenging the accumulation of ROS through regulating the expression of PeZAT12 and PeAPX2 in Populus

Abstract

ZINC FINGER OF ARABIDOPSIS THALIANA12 (ZAT12) plays an important role in stress responses, but the transcriptional regulation of ZAT12 in response to abiotic stress remains unclear. In this study, we confirmed that a SALT TOLERANCE ZINC FINGER1 transcription factor from Populus euphratica (PeSTZ1) could regulate the expression of PeZAT12 by dual-luciferase reporter (DLR) assay and electrophoretic mobility shift assay. The expression of PeSTZ1 was rapidly induced by NaCl and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) treatments. Overexpressing PeSTZ1 in poplar 84K (Populus alba × Populus glandulosa) plant was endowed with a strong tolerance to salt stress. Under salt stress, transgenic poplar exhibited higher expression levels of PeZAT12 and accumulated a larger amount of antioxidant than the wild-type plants. Meanwhile, ASCORBATE PEROXIDASE2 (PeAPX2) can be activated by PeZAT12 and PeSTZ1, promoting the accumulation of cytosolic ascorbate peroxidase (APX) to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS) under salt stress. This new regulatory model (PeSTZ1–PeZAT12–PeAPX2) was found in poplar, providing a new idea and insight for the interpretation of poplar resistance. Transgenic poplar reduced the accumulation of ROS, restrained the degradation of chlorophyll and guaranteed the photosynthesis and electron transport system. On the other hand, transgenic poplar slickly adjusted K+/Na+ homeostasis to alleviate salt toxicity in photosynthetic organs of plants under salt stress and then increased biomass accumulation. In summary, PeSTZ1 confers salt stress tolerance by scavenging the accumulation of ROS through regulating the expression of PeZAT12 and PeAPX2 in poplar.

Genome-wide investigation and expression profiling of polyphenol oxidase (PPO) family genes uncover likely functions in organ development and stress responses in Populus trichocarpa

“…Total RNA was prepared using the plant total RNA extraction kit (Aidlab, Beijing, China) according to the manufacturer’s protocol, and 2 μg of total RNA was reverse transcribed into cDNA using the Tiangen Fast Quant RT Kit (Tiangen Biotech Co. Ltd., Beijing, China). qRT-PCR was conducted as per a previously described protocol [ 59 ]. Based on the target gene fragment, Primer Premier 6.0 was used to design primers online; all primers used are listed in Table S 1 .…”

Chloroplast Thylakoidal Ascorbate Peroxidase, PtotAPX, Has Enhanced Resistance to Oxidative Stress in Populus tomentosa

“…Increased H 2 O 2 levels were observed in the wild-type and anti-P plants, but decreased in the OX-P plants ( Figure 4 A). The accumulation of ROS often results in direct or indirect oxidative damage in plant cells subjected to a series of stresses and may cause significant damages to cellular, destroying chloroplast structure [ 26 ]. Excessive H 2 O 2 destroyed chloroplast structure and function compared with the WT.…”

Genome-Wide Investigation of the NF-X1 Gene Family in Populus trichocarpa Expression Profiles during Development and Stress

“…Biotic and abiotic stresses will directly lead to a decline in agricultural and forestry productivity, forming a critical danger to the world’s energy, biosphere balance, and security [ 1 , 35 , 36 ]. Transcription factors play an indispensable role in regulating plant growth and development and plant response to stress [ 29 , 37 ].…”

“…Total RNA was prepared using the plant total RNA extraction kit (Aidlab, Beijing, China) according to the manufacturer’s protocol, and cDNA was reverse-transcribed from 2 μg of total RNA with the Tiangen Fast Quant RT Kit (Tiangen Biotech Co. Ltd., Beijing, China). For qRT-PCR, we refer to the previous experimental operation [ 35 ]. According to the target gene fragment, Primer Premier 6.0 was used to design primers online, and all primers are presented in Table S1 .…”