An ERF Transcription Factor Gene from Malus baccata (L.) Borkh, MbERF11, Affects Cold and Salt Stress Tolerance in Arabidopsis

Deguo Han,Shuang Wang,Guohui Yang,Jiaxin Han,Tianlong Xu,Wenhui Li

doi:10.3390/f11050514

Abstract

Apple, as one of the most important economic forest tree species, is widely grown in the world. Abiotic stress, such as low temperature and high salt, affect apple growth and development. Ethylene response factors (ERFs) are widely involved in the responses of plants to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, a new ethylene response factor gene was isolated from Malus baccata (L.) Borkh and designated as MbERF11. The MbERF11 gene encoded a protein of 160 amino acid residues with a theoretical isoelectric point of 9.27 and a predicated molecular mass of 17.97 kDa. Subcellular localization showed that MbERF11 was localized to the nucleus. The expression of MbERF11 was enriched in root and stem, and was highly affected by cold, salt, and ethylene treatments in M. baccata seedlings. When MbERF11 was introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana, it greatly increased the cold and salt tolerance in transgenic plant. Increased expression of MbERF11 in transgenic A. thaliana also resulted in higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), higher contents of proline and chlorophyll, while malondialdehyde (MDA) content was lower, especially in response to cold and salt stress. Therefore, these results suggest that MbERF11 probably plays an important role in the response to cold and salt stress in Arabidopsis by enhancing the scavenging capability for reactive oxygen species (ROS).

Highlights

During growth and development, plants are frequently exposed to various abiotic stresses, such as drought, cold, salt, heat, and nutrient deprivation
From the transcriptome analysis of M. baccata seedlings under cold and/or drought stresses, From the transcriptome analysis of M. baccata seedlings under cold and/or drought stresses, we we found the MbERF11 level was significantly up-regulated under both stresses
Through NCBI blast of MbERF11 gene, we found that the through NCBI blast of MbERF11 gene, we found that the closest Arabidopsis Ethylene response factors (ERFs) gene is AtERF7, which is a famous ERF transcription factors (TFs) gene involved in drought stress closest Arabidopsis ERF gene is AtERF7, which is a famous ERF TF gene involved in drought stress through ABA signal transduction [32]

Summary

Introduction

Plants are frequently exposed to various abiotic stresses, such as drought, cold, salt, heat, and nutrient deprivation. Plants have developed different adaptable mechanisms to ensure their normal growth and development [1,2]. The response mechanism of plants to abiotic stresses was regulated by multiple signaling pathways [3]. In these processes, transcription factors (TFs) play a key role in the interaction of these signaling pathways [4,5,6,7]. TFs, known as trans-acting factors, are a class of DNA-binding proteins that bind to cis-acting elements. Interactions between transcription factors and cis-acting elements or other proteins can be transcriptional activation or inhibition. Studies have clarified that TF genes are abundantly present in plants, and can regulate plant growth and metabolism [8,9]

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