JOURNAL OF NANJING FORESTRY UNIVERSITY ›› 2023, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (2): 49-60.doi: 10.12302/j.issn.1000-2006.202201015

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Comprehensive analysis of WRKY gene family in Sedum plumbizincicola responding to cadmium stress

WANG Jianchao1,2(), QIU Wenmin2(), JIN Kangming2, LU Zhuchou2, HAN Xiaojiao2, ZHUO Renying2, LIU Xiaoguang3,*(), HE Zhengquan1,*()   

  1. 1. Key Laboratory of Three Gorges Regional Plant Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement (CTGU),Biotechnology Research Center,China Three Gorges University, Yichang 443002, China
    2. Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding of Zhejiang Province, The Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400, China
    3. Tangshan Academy of Agriculture Science, Tangshan 063001, China
  • Received:2022-01-12 Revised:2022-06-25 Online:2023-03-30 Published:2023-03-28

Abstract:

【Objective】 WRKY transcription factors play important regulatory roles for a plant abiotic stress response. However, little information is available about WRKY transcription factors in the hyperaccumulating plant Sedum plumbizincicola. The identification of SpWRKY gene family members and analysis of their expression patterns under cadmium stress can provide a reference for molecular cloning of SpWRKYs gene and functional characterization of cadmium tolerance.【Method】 In this study, the genome-wide identification and bioinformatics analysis of WRKY gene family members were carried out. Expression patterns of WRKY genes under cadmium stress were derived from transcriptome data and qPCR, and the roles of SpWRKY69 in cadmium tolerance were assessed by the heterologous expression in Arabidopsis thaliana.【Result】 There were 77 SpWRKYs identified in S. plumbizincicola, unevenly distributed on the chromosomes. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, the SpWRKY proteins were classified into three groups (Ⅰ-Ⅲ), among which the second group was further divided into five subgroups (Ⅱa-e). The synteny analysis showed that there were seven collinear gene pairs in the S. plumbizincicola and A. thaliana WRKY gene family and 53 collinear gene pairs for Kalanchoe fedtschenkoi; 19 pairs of SpWRKYs were identified as the segmental duplication. Cis-regulatory elements related to stress and hormone responses were found in the promoters of SpWRKYs. The expression profiles showed that the expression levels of the seven SpWRKYs were significantly up-regulated under cadmium stress, exhibiting a pattern of increasing initially and then decreasing. Over-expression of SpWRKY69 in A. thaliana showed that SpWRKY69 can enhance the transport rate of Cd ions to the shoot and play a negative role in regulating plant cadmium tolerance.【Conclusion】 Structural features of WRKY gene family members in S. plumbizincicola are similar to those of other species, and the fragment duplication is one of the main evolutionary forces. The relative expression levels of some members change significantly under cadmium stress, and SpWRKY69 can increase the transport rate of Cd ions to the shoot, and so other WRKY members may also be involved in the regulation of plant cadmium tolerance. These results provide a foundation for further functional characterization of SpWRKYs related to Cd tolerance.

Key words: Sedum plumbizincicola, WRKY transcription factor, cadmium stress, gene expression, Arabidopsis transformation

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