title: Identification and function analyses of senescence-associated WRKYs in wheat.
abstract: Leaf senescence is a positive, highly regulated, complex process, and transcription factors play important roles in the regulation of this process. We identified and characterized 116 WRKYs from the wheat genome database. Thirteen TaWRKYs were confirmed as senescence-associated genes. We focused on TaWRKY7, which is up-regulated in the natural leaf senescence process. TaWRKY7 is expressed in different tissues of wheat and is localized in the nucleus. It shows transcriptional activation activity in yeast cells. The ectopic over-expression of TaWRKY7 in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) significantly promoted early leaf senescence under darkness treatment and prevented leaf moisture losses. TaWRKY7 played important roles in the senescence process and was involved in abiotic stress responses. Our transcriptomic and genetic studies on WRKYs suggest that WRKY transcription factors are a type of vital regulator in leaf senescence in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050024 PR China.
authors.forename: Haoshan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050024 PR China.
authors.forename: Mingming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050024 PR China.
authors.forename: Qiuhang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050024 PR China.
authors.forename: Lifeng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050024 PR China.
authors.forename: Geng
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, 050024 PR China. Electronic address: cjzhou@hebtu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Chunjiang
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D016922:Cellular Senescence / Q000502:physiology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism*; D014908:Triticum / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Leaf senescence; Senescence-associated gene; WRKY; Wheat