title: A wheat histone variant gene TaH2A.7 enhances drought tolerance and promotes stomatal closure in Arabidopsis.
abstract: We found a histone variant enhances drought tolerance partially via promoting stomatal closure other than osmotic stress resistance, indicating the crucial and complicated contribution of epigenetic regulation to abiotic stress response. Histone variants epigenetically regulate gene transcription through remodeling chromatin. They have been implicated in modulating plant abiotic stress response, however, the role(s) is not well documented. Here, we identified an abiotic stress responsive H2A variant gene TaH2A.7 from wheat. TaH2A.7 shared high identity with H2A homologs and localized to the nucleus. TaH2A.7 overexpression in Arabidopsis significantly enhanced drought tolerance, but had no effect on the response to saline, osmotic and oxidative stresses. TaH2A.7 lowered water loss rate, and promoted ABA-induced stomatal closure. In TaH2A.7 overexpression plants, the mRNA levels of numerous genes involved in the ABA pathway and stomatal movement signaling pathway were elevated, H2O2 level in guard cells was increased, as well. Together, TaH2A.7 can enhance drought tolerance via, at least in part, promoting stomatal closure, and appears to be a promising target for molecular breeding.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cellular Engineering and Germplasm Innovation, School of Life Science, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, 27 Shandanan Road, Jinan, 250100, China.
authors.forename: Wenjing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cellular Engineering and Germplasm Innovation, School of Life Science, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, 27 Shandanan Road, Jinan, 250100, China.
authors.forename: Yongchao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cellular Engineering and Germplasm Innovation, School of Life Science, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, 27 Shandanan Road, Jinan, 250100, China.
authors.forename: Zhaohui
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Cheng
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cellular Engineering and Germplasm Innovation, School of Life Science, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, 27 Shandanan Road, Jinan, 250100, China.
authors.forename: Guangmin
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Cellular Engineering and Germplasm Innovation, School of Life Science, Ministry of Education, Shandong University, 27 Shandanan Road, Jinan, 250100, China. wangmc@sdu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Mengcheng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D055864:Droughts; D017343:Genes, Plant; D006657:Histones / Q000235:genetics*; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000378:metabolism; D009997:Osmotic Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D054046:Plant Stomata / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D018526:Plant Transpiration / Q000187:drug effects; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D055049:Salt Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D014908:Triticum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D006657:Histones; D010940:Plant Proteins; D000040:Abscisic Acid; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide
keywords: Abiotic stress; Drought tolerance; Histone variant; Stomatal movement; Wheat