Abstract
BackgroundDrought is a common phenomenon worldwide. It is also one of the main abiotic factors that affect the growth and quality of strawberry. The dehydration-responsive element binding protein (DREB) members that belong to the APETALA2/ethylene-responsive element binding protein (AP2/EREBP) superfamily are unique transcription factors in plants that play important roles in the abiotic stress response.ResultsHere, a total of 119 AP2/EREBP genes were identified in Fragaria vesca, and the AP2/EREBP superfamily was divided into AP2, RAV, ERF, DREB, and soloist subfamilies, containing 18, 7, 61, 32, and one member(s), respectively. The DREB subfamily was further divided into six subgroups (A-1 to A-6) based on phylogenetic analysis. Gene structure, conserved motifs, chromosomal location, and synteny analysis were conducted to comprehensively investigate the characteristics of FvDREBs. Furthermore, transcriptome analysis revealed distinctive expression patterns among the FvDREB genes in strawberry plants exposed to drought stress. The expression of FvDREB6 of the A-2 subgroup was down-regulated in old leaves and up-regulated in young leaves in response to drought. Furthermore, qRT-PCR analysis found that FvDREB8 from the A-2 subgroup had the highest expression level under drought stress. Together, analyses with the expression pattern, phylogenetic relationship, motif, and promoter suggest that FvDREB18 may play a critical role in the regulation of FvDREB1 and FvDREB2 expression.ConclusionsOur findings provide new insights into the characteristics and potential functions of FvDREBs. These FvDREB genes should be further studied as they appear to be excellent candidates for drought tolerance improvement of strawberry.
Highlights
IntroductionIt is one of the main abiotic factors that affect the growth and quality of strawberry
Identification of AP2/EREBP in Fragaria vesca A total of 119 AP2/EREBP genes were identified through Hidden Markov Model (HMM) searches, local Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) analyses, and domain confirmations
The results showed that the expression of FvDREB8 of the A-2 subgroup was significantly up-regulated, with the highest expression observed at 1d under drought stress (Fig. 8)
Summary
It is one of the main abiotic factors that affect the growth and quality of strawberry. The dehydration-responsive element binding protein (DREB) members that belong to the APETALA2/ethylene-responsive element binding protein (AP2/EREBP) superfamily are unique transcription fac‐ tors in plants that play important roles in the abiotic stress response. The cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) is one of the most important and youngest crop species worldwide, originating approximately 300 years ago [11]. Strawberry has a large leaf area and a shallow root distribution, and upon drought stress, its growth and yield are greatly affected [15]. Drought is one of the main limiting factors that affect the growth and quality of strawberry. Understanding the regulatory mechanism of strawberry in response to drought stress can enhance the development and performance of strawberry when subjected to drought stress
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