title: GhABF2, a bZIP transcription factor, confers drought and salinity tolerance in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.).
abstract: The bZIP transcription factor (TF) act as an important regulator for the abscisic acid (ABA) mediated abiotic stresses signaling pathways in plants. Here, we reported the cloning and characterization of GhABF2, encoding for typical cotton bZIP TF. Overexpression of GhABF2 significantly improved drought and salt stress tolerance both in Arabidopsis and cotton. However, silencing of GhABF2 made transgenic cotton sensitive to PEG osmotic and salt stress. Expression of GhABF2 was induced by drought and ABA treatments but repressed by high salinity. Transcriptome analysis indicated that GhABF2 increases drought and salt tolerance by regulating genes related to ABA, drought and salt response. The proline contents, activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) were also significantly increased in GhABF2-overexpression cottons in comparison to wild type after drought and salt treatment. Further, an increase in fiber yield under drought and saline-alkali wetland exhibited the important role of GhABF2 in enhancing the drought and salt tolerance in transgenic lines. In conclusion, manipulation of GhABF2 by biotechnological tools could be a sustainable strategy to deploy drought and salt tolerance in cotton.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Chengzhen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Zhaohong
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Zhigang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.|Department of Plant Breeding and Genetics, Bahauddin Zakariya University, Multan, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Waqas
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Malik
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.|College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, China.
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.|Biotechnology Research Department, Ministry of Science and Technology, Naypyidaw, Myanmar.
authors.forename: Khin Myat
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Lwin
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Fazhuang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Yuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Guoqing
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China.
authors.forename: Jianying
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei 430070, China.
authors.forename: Shuangxia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Sandui
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Rui
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000064:Acclimatization; D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D055864:Droughts; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D053263:Gene Regulatory Networks; D003368:Gossypium / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055049:Salt Tolerance
chemical_list: D050976:Basic-Leucine Zipper Transcription Factors; D010940:Plant Proteins; D000040:Abscisic Acid