Abstract
Plant U-box E3 ubiquitin ligase (PUB) is involved in various environmental stress conditions. However, the molecular mechanism of U-box proteins in response to abiotic stress in wheat remains unknown. In this study, two U-box E3 ligase genes (TaPUB2 and TaPUB3), which are highly expressed in response to adverse abiotic stresses, were isolated from common wheat, and their cellular functions were characterized under drought stress. Transient expression assay revealed that TaPUB2 was localized in the cytoplasm and Golgi apparatus, whereas TaPUB3 was expressed only in the Golgi apparatus in wheat protoplasts. Additionally, TaPUB2 and TaPUB3 underwent self-ubiquitination. Moreover, TaPUB2/TaPUB3 heterodimer was identified in yeast and the cytoplasm of wheat protoplasts using a pull-down assay and bimolecular fluorescence complementation analysis. Heterogeneous overexpression of TaPUB2 and TaPUB3 conferred tolerance to drought stress. Taken together, these results implied that the heterodimeric form of U-box E3 ubiquitin ligases (TaPUB2/TaPUB3) responded to abiotic stress and roles as a positive regulator of drought stress tolerance.
Highlights
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RT-PCR was used to examine the expression patterns of 11 U-box genes that were expressed under drought conditions, and the results indicated that the expression of two genes (TraesCS5A02G198800.1 and TraesCS2B02G499300.1) was upregulated, while the expression of two genes (TraesCS5D02G210500.1 and TraesCS4B02G371600.1) was downregulated after 6 h of drought treatment (Figure 1B)
The transcriptional profiles of TaPUB2 and TaPUB3 were confirmed by the results of their response to abiotic stresses in wheat; the expression of both TaPUB2 and TaPUB3 was highly upregulated under abiotic stresses—drought, cold, salt, and abscisic acid (ABA) (Figures 1 and 2)
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Plants are consistently exposed to adverse environmental conditions throughout their life cycle. They are regularly subjected to harmful environmental cues that affect their growth, development, and yield. Plants have evolved various physiological, biochemical, and molecular strategies to cope with these extreme environmental conditions [1,2]. The metabolic response to drought stress in various crops has been widely studied, little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying drought tolerance, especially in wheat. The study of stress responsive genes in wheat would clarify its response to various conditions
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