Abstract
In plants, high–affinity potassium transporters (HKTs) not only play a significant role in potassium transport but may also be important for the abiotic stress response. However, information regarding the response of HKTs to cadmium (Cd) stress is limited. Here, we focus on SbHKT2b, the expression of which is highly induced by Cd exposure. SbHKT2b overexpression reduced the accumulation of Cd and increased tolerance to Cd exposure, while SbHKT2b–RNA interference (RNAi) lines exhibited the opposite phenotype. In addition, the overexpression of SbHKT2b resulted in reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and enhanced ROS quenching capacity under Cd stress. Further analyses revealed that SbWRKY54 directly binds to the SbHKT2b promoter and upregulates its expression. Overall, the overexpression of SbWRKY54 decreased Cd and ROS accumulation in transgenic sorghum. Taken together, our results showed that SbWRKY54–SbHKT2b is an important Cd stress response pathway in sorghum.
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