title: Expression of a grape (Vitis vinifera) bZIP transcription factor, VlbZIP36, in Arabidopsis thaliana confers tolerance of drought stress during seed germination and seedling establishment.
abstract: Drought is one of the most serious factors that limit agricultural productivity and there is considerable interest in understanding the molecular bases of drought responses and their regulation. While numbers of basic leucine zipper (bZIP) transcription factors (TFs) are known to play key roles in response of plants to various abiotic stresses, only a few group K bZIP TFs have been functionally characterized in the context of stress signaling. In this study, we characterized the expression of the grape (Vitis vinifera) group K bZIP gene, VlbZIP36, and found evidence for its involvement in response to drought and the stress-associated phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). Transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines over-expressing VlbZIP36 under the control of a constitutive promoter showed enhanced dehydration tolerance during the seed germination stage, as well as in the seedling and mature plant stages. The results indicated that VlbZIP36 plays a role in drought tolerance by improving the water status, through limiting water loss, and mitigating cellular damage. The latter was evidenced by reduced cell death, lower electrolyte leakage in the transgenic plants, as well as by increased activities of antioxidant enzymes. We concluded that VlbZIP36 enhances drought tolerance through the transcriptional regulation of ABA-/stress-related genes.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Mingxing
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Xianhang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Tongying
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Xiaomeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Yaqiong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China.
authors.forename: Yuejin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Stress Biology in Arid Areas, College of Horticulture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China; Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Biology and Germplasm Innovation in Northwest China, Ministry of Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China. Electronic address: wangxiping@nwsuaf.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xiping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D055864:Droughts; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D018525:Germination / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D036226:Seedlings / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D012639:Seeds / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D027843:Vitis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D010940:Plant Proteins
keywords: Abscisic acid-dependent; Drought; Grape; Reactive oxygen species; VlbZIP36