title: Overexpression of ThVHAc1 and its potential upstream regulator, ThWRKY7, improved plant tolerance of Cadmium stress.
abstract: As one of the most toxic heavy metals in the environment, cadmium (Cd) poses a severe threat to plant growth. We previously reported that overexpression of the Tamarix hispida V-ATPase c subunit (ThVHAc1) improved the Cd tolerance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In the current study, we further explored the Cd tolerance conferred by ThVHAc1 in Arabidopsis and T. hispida. ThVHAc1 transgenic Arabidopsis had higher seed germination, biomass, and chlorophyll content under CdCl2 treatment. In Cd-stressed plants, overexpression of ThVHAc1 significantly improved V-ATPase activity and affected the expression of other V-ATPase subunit-encoding genes. Intriguingly, the lower level of ROS accumulation in ThVHAc1-overexpressing lines under CdCl2 treatment demonstrated that ThVHAc1 may modulate Cd stress tolerance by regulating ROS homeostasis. Transient expression of ThVHAc1 in T. hispida further confirmed these findings. Furthermore, promoter analysis and yeast one-hybrid assay revealed that the transcription factor ThWRKY7 can specifically bind to the WRKY cis-element in the ThVHAc1 promoter. ThWRKY7 exhibited similar expression patterns as ThVHAc1 under CdCl2 treatment and improved Cd tolerance, suggesting that ThWRKY7 may be an upstream regulatory gene of ThVHAc1. Therefore, our results show that the combination of ThVHAc1 and its upstream regulator could be used to improve Cd stress tolerance in woody plants.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding (Northeast Forestry University), 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China.|Laboratory of Walnut Research Center, College of Forestry, Northwest A &F University, Yangling, 712100 Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Guiyan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding (Northeast Forestry University), 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China.
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding (Northeast Forestry University), 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China.
authors.forename: Yucheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding (Northeast Forestry University), 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China.
authors.forename: Yucong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding (Northeast Forestry University), 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China.
authors.forename: Yulin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding (Northeast Forestry University), 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China.
authors.forename: Chuanping
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding (Northeast Forestry University), 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China.
authors.forename: Caiqiu
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019256:Cadmium Chloride / Q000633:toxicity*; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004785:Environmental Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D018525:Germination / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D012639:Seeds / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D032363:Tamaricaceae / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019076:Transgenes; D025262:Vacuolar Proton-Translocating ATPases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D004785:Environmental Pollutants; D010940:Plant Proteins; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D014157:Transcription Factors; C498414:WRKY7 protein, Arabidopsis; D002734:Chlorophyll; D025262:Vacuolar Proton-Translocating ATPases; D019256:Cadmium Chloride