Improve Stress Tolerance Research Articles

The Identification and Expression Analysis of the Liriodendron chinense (Hemsl.) Sarg. SOD Gene Family

Superoxide dismutase (oxide dismutase) is an enzyme synthesized via the expression of SOD-related genes. It is the first line of defense against oxygen free radicals, and it widely exists in the cytoplasm, chloroplasts, and mitochondria. However, the SOD gene family of woody plant Liriodendron chinense has not been studied. To reveal the potential role of SOD genes, we systematically identified and analyzed the SOD gene family of L. chinense, and investigated the transcriptional responses of LcSOD genes to several abiotic stresses, including cold, heat, and drought. A total of eight SOD genes were identified, namely, five Cu/Zn-SODs, two Fe-SODs, and one Mn-SOD, and they were divided into two subgroups according to phylogenetic analysis, gene structure, and conserved motifs. Cis-acting element analysis reveals various hormones and stress respond as cis-acting elements in the promoters of LcSODs. Gene expression analysis shows that most LcSOD genes were in response to abiotic stresses at the transcriptional level. These results help in clarifying the function of LcSOD genes under abiotic stresses, and provide potential targets for the improvement in abiotic stress tolerance in the endangered L. chinense.

Priming with sodium nitroprusside and hydrogen peroxide increases cotton seed tolerance to salinity and water deficit during seed germination and seedling development

A major difficulty in cotton crops is high-quality seed production, which interferes with plant vigor and establishment. Techniques such as seed physiological conditioning have been reported due to their ability to improve stress tolerance in seeds and plants. Considering this, we carried out this research to evaluate the use of signaling molecules to increase cotton plant stress tolerance. Seeds were conditioned on aerated solutions of indoleacetic acid (100 µM), hydrogen peroxide (100 µM), chitosan (0.75 mM), melatonin (0.2 mM), sodium nitroprusside (100 µM), and pure water (hydropriming), at 20 °C for 24 h. Then seeds were washed with running water and dried in an oven with forced air circulation at 25 °C for 24 h. Treated seeds or nontreated seeds were placed to germinate under salinity (10 dS m−1 NaCl) and water deficit by using polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000) at − 0.6 MPa, and with nonstressed condition (water). The solutions mentioned were used to moisten the Germitest® paper roll at 2.5 times its weight. We also analyzed the activity of the enzymes superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ascorbate peroxidase, as well as the content of proline, hydrogen peroxide, and lipid peroxidation. Physiological conditioning with signaling molecules effectively improved cotton seed germination under stress, especially to hydrogen peroxide and sodium nitroprusside, which resulted in better performance on the parameters of germination and seedling growth. As stress conditions induced oxidative stress, as observed by lipid peroxidation, we found that physiological conditioning improved the seed antioxidant system, with hydrogen peroxide and sodium nitroprusside resulting in better performance. Our results highlighted the potential of sodium nitroprusside and hydrogen peroxide as inducers of stress tolerance in cotton.

Nitric oxide, calmodulin and calcium protein kinase interactions in the response of Brassica napus to salinity stress.

Involvement of nitric oxide (NO) in plant metabolism and its connection with phytohormones has not been fully described, thus information about the role of this molecule in signalling pathways remains fragmented. In this study, the effects of NO on calmodulin (CAM), calcium protein kinase (CPK), content of phytohormones and secondary metabolites in canola plants under salinity stress were investigated. We applied 100 μM sodium nitroprusside as an NO source to canola plants grown under saline (100 mM NaCl) and non-saline conditions at the vegetative stage. Plant growth was negatively affected by salinity, but exogenous NO treatment improved growth. NO caused a significant increase in activity of CAT, SOD and POX through their enhanced gene expression in stressed canola. Salinity-responsive genes, namely CAM and CPK, were induced by NO in plants grown under salinity. NO application enhanced phenolic compounds, such as gallic acid and coumaric acid and flavonoid compound,s catechin, diadzein and kaempferol, in plants subjected to salinity. NO treatment enhanced abscisic acid and brassinosteroids but decreased auxin and gibberellin in stressed canola plants. The impacts of NO in improving stress tolerance in canola required CAM and CPK. Also, NO signalling re-established the phytohormone balance and resulted in enhanced tolerance to salt stress. Furthermore, NO improved salinity tolerance in canola by increasing enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant content.

SiNCED1, a 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase gene in Setaria italica, is involved in drought tolerance and seed germination in transgenic Arabidopsis.

Foxtail millet (Setaria italica L.) is a vital cereal food crop with promising development and utilization potential because of its outstanding ability to resist drought stress. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying its drought stress resistance remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the molecular function of a 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase gene, SiNCED1, in the drought stress response of foxtail millet. Expression pattern analysis showed that SiNCED1 expression was significantly induced by abscisic acid (ABA), osmotic stress, and salt stress. Furthermore, ectopic overexpression of SiNCED1 could enhance drought stress resistance by elevating endogenous ABA levels and promoting stomatal closure. Transcript analysis indicated that SiNCED1 modulated ABA-related stress responsive gene expression. In addition, we found that ectopic expression of SiNCED1 delayed seed germination under normal and abiotic stress conditions. Taken together, our results show that SiNCED1 plays a positive role in the drought tolerance and seed dormancy of foxtail millet by modulating ABA biosynthesis. In conclusion, this study revealed that SiNCED1 is an important candidate gene for the improvement of drought stress tolerance in foxtail millet and could be beneficial in the breeding and investigation of drought tolerance in other agronomic crops.

Genome-Wide Identification and Characterization of Copper Chaperone for Superoxide Dismutase (CCS) Gene Family in Response to Abiotic Stress in Soybean

Copper Chaperone For Superoxide Dismutase (CCS) genes encode copper chaperone for Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and dramatically affect the activity of SOD through regulating copper delivery from target to SOD. SOD is the effective component of the antioxidant defense system in plant cells to reduce oxidative damage by eliminating Reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are produced during abiotic stress. CCS might play an important role in abiotic stress to eliminate the damage caused by ROS, however, little is known about CCS in soybean in abiotic stress regulation. In this study, 31 GmCCS gene family members were identified from soybean genome. These genes were classified into 4 subfamilies in the phylogenetic tree. Characteristics of 31 GmCCS genes including gene structure, chromosomal location, collinearity, conserved domain, protein motif, cis-elements, and tissue expression profiling were systematically analyzed. RT-qPCR was used to analyze the expression of 31 GmCCS under abiotic stress, and the results showed that 5 GmCCS genes(GmCCS5, GmCCS7, GmCCS8, GmCCS11 and GmCCS24) were significantly induced by some kind of abiotic stress. The functions of these GmCCS genes in abiotic stress were tested using yeast expression system and soybean hairy roots. The results showed that GmCCS7/GmCCS24 participated in drought stress regulation. Soybean hairy roots expressing GmCCS7/GmCCS24 showed improved drought stress tolerance, with increased SOD and other antioxidant enzyme activities. The results of this study provide reference value in-depth study CCS gene family, and important gene resources for the genetic improvement of soybean drought stress tolerance.

Urea derivative MTU improves stress tolerance and yield in wheat by promoting cyclic electron flow around PSI.

Increasing crop productivity under optimal conditions and mitigating yield losses under stressful conditions is a major challenge in contemporary agriculture. We have recently identified an effective anti-senescence compound (MTU, [1-(2-methoxyethyl)-3-(1,2,3-thiadiazol-5yl)urea]) in in vitro studies. Here, we show that MTU delayed both age- and stress-induced senescence of wheat plants (Triticum aestivum L.) by enhancing the abundance of PSI supercomplex with LHCa antennae (PSI-LHCa) and promoting the cyclic electron flow (CEF) around PSI. We suppose that this rarely-observed phenomenon blocks the disintegration of photosynthetic apparatus and maintains its activity as was reflected by the faster growth rate of wheat in optimal conditions and under drought and heat stress. Our multiyear field trial analysis further shows that the treatment with 0.4g ha-1 of MTU enhanced average grain yields of field-grown wheat and barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) by 5-8%. Interestingly, the analysis of gene expression and hormone profiling confirms that MTU acts without the involvement of cytokinins or other phytohormones. Moreover, MTU appears to be the only chemical reported to date to affect PSI stability and activity. Our results indicate a central role of PSI and CEF in the onset of senescence with implications in yield management at least for cereal species.

Identification and expression analysis of C2H2 zinc finger protein genes reveals their role in stress tolerance in Brassica napus.

C2H2-zinc finger genes are involved in various biological processes in plants including stress response; however, they lack characterization in Brassica napus. We identified 267 C2H2-ZF genes in B. napus and deciphered their physiological properties, subcellular localization, structure, synteny and phylogeny, and investigated expression of 20 genes in response to different stresses and phytohormone treatments. The 267 genes were distributed on 19 chromosomes; phylogenetic analysis placed them into five clades. They varied from 0.41 to 9.2 kb in length, had stress responsive cis-acting elements in promoter regions, and their protein length varied from 9 to 1,366 amino acids. About 42% of the genes had one exon, and 88% genes had orthologues in Arabidopsis thaliana. About 97% of the genes were located in nucleus and 3% in cytoplasmic organelles. qRT-PCR analysis showed different expression pattern of these genes in response to biotic stresses (Plasmodiophora brassicae and Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) and abiotic stresses (cold, drought and salinity) and hormonal treatments. Differential expression of the same gene was observed under multiple stress conditions, and a few genes showed similar expression in response to more than one phytohormones. Our results suggest that the C2H2-ZF genes can be targeted for the improvement of stress tolerance in canola.

Seed priming can enhance and retain stress tolerance in ensuing generations by inducing epigenetic changes and trans-generational memory.

The significance of priming in enhancing abiotic stress tolerance is well-established in several important crops. Priming positively impacts plant growth and improves stress tolerance at multiple developmental stages, and seed priming is one of the most used methods. Seed priming influences the pre-germinative metabolism that ensures proper germination, early seedling establishment, enhanced stress tolerance and yield, even under unfavourable environmental conditions. Seed priming involves pre-exposure of seeds to mild stress, and this pre-treatment induces specific changes at the physiological and molecular levels. Interestingly, priming can improve the efficiency of the DNA repair mechanism, along with activation of specific signalling proteins and transcription factors for rapid and efficient stress tolerance. Notably, such acquired stress tolerance may be retained for longer duration, namely, later developmental stages or even subsequent generations. Epigenetic and chromatin-based mechanisms such as DNA methylation, histone modifications, and nucleosome positioning are some of the key molecular changes involved in priming/stress memory. Further, the retention of induced epigenetic changes may influence the priming-induced trans-generational stress memory. This review discusses known and plausible seed priming-induced molecular mechanisms that govern germination and stress memory within and across generations, highlighting their role in regulating the plant response to abiotic stresses. Understanding the molecular mechanism for activation of stress-responsive genes and the epigenetic changes resulting from seed priming will help to improve the resiliency of the crops for enhanced productivity under extreme environments.

Genetic variation in ZmSO contributes to ABA response and drought tolerance in maize seedlings

Water scarcity impairs maize growth and yield. Identification and deployment of superior drought-tolerance alleles is desirable for the genetic improvement of stress tolerance in maize. Our previous study revealed that maize sulfite oxidase (SO) catalyzes the oxidation of sulfite to sulfate and may be involved in drought response. But it was unclear whether the natural variation in ZmSO is directly associated with the drought resistance of maize. In the present study, we showed that ZmSO was associated with drought tolerance in maize seedlings, using gene association analysis and a transgene approach. A 14-bp insertion variation, containing two ABA-responsive elements, in the promoter region of ZmSO conferred ABA-inducible expression, leading to increased drought tolerance. Genetic selection of this favorable allele increased drought tolerance. This study has identified elite alleles associated with sulfur metabolism for improving maize drought resistance.

Plant translational reprogramming for stress resilience.

Organisms regulate gene expression to produce essential proteins for numerous biological processes, from growth and development to stress responses. Transcription and translation are the major processes of gene expression. Plants evolved various transcription factors and transcriptome reprogramming mechanisms to dramatically modulate transcription in response to environmental cues. However, even the genome-wide modulation of a gene's transcripts will not have a meaningful effect if the transcripts are not properly biosynthesized into proteins. Therefore, protein translation must also be carefully controlled. Biotic and abiotic stresses threaten global crop production, and these stresses are seriously deteriorating due to climate change. Several studies have demonstrated improved plant resistance to various stresses through modulation of protein translation regulation, which requires a deep understanding of translational control in response to environmental stresses. Here, we highlight the translation mechanisms modulated by biotic, hypoxia, heat, and drought stresses, which are becoming more serious due to climate change. This review provides a strategy to improve stress tolerance in crops by modulating translational regulation.

Species-specific effects of the introduction of Aspergillus nidulans gfdB in osmophilic aspergilli

Industrial fungi need a strong environmental stress tolerance to ensure acceptable efficiency and yields. Previous studies shed light on the important role that Aspergillus nidulans gfdB, putatively encoding a NAD+-dependent glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, plays in the oxidative and cell wall integrity stress tolerance of this filamentous fungus model organism. The insertion of A. nidulans gfdB into the genome of Aspergillus glaucus strengthened the environmental stress tolerance of this xerophilic/osmophilic fungus, which may facilitate the involvement of this fungus in various industrial and environmental biotechnological processes. On the other hand, the transfer of A. nidulans gfdB to Aspergillus wentii, another promising industrial xerophilic/osmophilic fungus, resulted only in minor and sporadic improvement in environmental stress tolerance and meanwhile partially reversed osmophily. Because A. glaucus and A. wentii are phylogenetically closely related species and both fungi lack a gfdB ortholog, these results warn us that any disturbance of the stress response system of the aspergilli may elicit rather complex and even unforeseeable, species-specific physiological changes. This should be taken into consideration in any future targeted industrial strain development projects aiming at the fortification of the general stress tolerance of these fungi.Key points• A. wentii c’ gfdB strains showed minor and sporadic stress tolerance phenotypes.• The osmophily of A. wentii significantly decreased in the c’ gfdB strains.• Insertion of gfdB caused species-specific phenotypes in A. wentii and A. glaucus.

The C2 H2 -type zinc finger transcription factor OSIC1 positively regulates stomatal closure under osmotic stress in poplar.

Salt and drought impair plant osmotic homeostasis and greatly limit plant growth and development. Plants decrease stomatal aperture to reduce water loss and maintain osmotic homeostasis, leading to improved stress tolerance. Herein, we identified the C2 H2 transcription factor gene OSMOTIC STRESS INDUCED C2 H2 1 (OSIC1) from Populus alba var. pyramidalis to be induced by salt, drought, polyethylene glycol 6000 (PEG6000) and abscisic acid (ABA). Overexpression of OSIC1 conferred transgenic poplar more tolerance to high salinity, drought and PEG6000 treatment by reducing stomatal aperture, while its mutant generated by the CRISPR/Cas9 system showed the opposite phenotype. Furthermore, OSIC1 directly up-regulates PalCuAOζ invitro and invivo, encoding a copper-containing polyamine oxidase, to enhance H2 O2 accumulation in guard cells and thus modulates stomatal closure when stresses occur. Additionally, ABA-, drought- and salt-induced PalMPK3 phosphorylates OSIC1 to increase its transcriptional activity to PalCuAOζ. This regulation of OSIC1 at the transcriptional and protein levels guarantees rapid stomatal closure when poplar responds to osmotic stress. Our results revealed a novel transcriptional regulatory mechanism of H2 O2 production in guard cells mediated by the OSIC1-PalCuAOζ module. These findings deepen our understanding of how perennial woody plants, like poplar, respond to osmotic stress caused by salt and drought and provide potential targets for breeding.

Polyamines and nitric oxide crosstalk in plant development and abiotic stress tolerance.

Polyamines (PAs) and nitric oxide (NO) are crucial signalling molecules that exhibit a promising role in improving stress tolerance in plants, maintaining their growth and development. They act as protecting agents for plants through activation of stress adaptation strategies such as membrane stabilisation, acid neutralisation and suppression of ROS generation. NO interacts with PAs during several developmental processes and stress responses. External supplementation of PAs to plants is also reported to cause an increase in NO content. However, it is unclear whether PAs promote synthesis of NO by either as substrates, cofactors, or signals. Impact of NO on synthesis of PAs has been also reported in some studies, yet the exact governing mechanisms of the interrelation between NO and PAs is currently obscure. Understanding the crosstalk between PAs and NO during growth and stress condition in plants can aid in providing better tolerance to plants against stressful environment.

Reaumuria soongorica-plant model to understand drought adaptive mechanisms of xerophyte and their potentials in improving stress tolerance in plants

Reaumuria soongorica plays critical role in withstanding wind-induced soil erosion and combating desertification due to its unique drought adaptive networks involved in physiological, morphological, biochemical, and molecular biological levels. This review was conceived to summarize the most updated information on drought adaptive mechanisms of R. soongorica to formulate valuable strategies for non-xerophytes crop species to be drought tolerant. Research indicates that R. soongorica can be drought resistant via posing a high root to shoot ratio, having salt secreting gland, subsidized stomata, hard leaf texture, pallet leaf shape, high seeds viability, actively working antioxidative enzymes, secondary metabolites, phytohormones, and differentially expressed drought resistant genes. These characteristics interlink at morpho-physiological, biochemical, metobolic, molecular, and genetic level in R. soongorica to adapt the extreme abitotic stress conditions in desert regions as a plant model in xerophyte. The potentials of using the genetic elements in R. soongorica to produce drought tolerant crop species for yield production on growing on marginal lands could be vital for maintaining future food security. However, functional gene cloning and their transformation in crop species should be conducted as pre-requisite. Key words: Abiotic stress, Crop improvement, Drought adaptive mechanisms, Reaumuria soongorica, Xerophytes

Recent progress in practical applications of a potential carotenoid astaxanthin in aquaculture industry: a review.

Astaxanthin is the main natural C40 carotenoid used worldwide in the aquaculture industry. It normally occurs in red yeast Phaffia rhodozyma and green alga Haematococcus pluvialis and a variety of aquatic sea creatures, such as trout, salmon, and shrimp. Numerous biological functions reported its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities since astaxanthin possesses the highest oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) and is considered to be over 500 more times effective than vitamin E and other carotenoids such as lutein and lycopene. Thus, synthetic and natural sources of astaxanthin have a commanding influence on industry trends, causing a wave in the world nutraceutical market of the encapsulated product. In vitro and in vivo studies have associated astaxanthin's unique molecular features with various health benefits, including immunomodulatory, photoprotective, and antioxidant properties, providing its chemotherapeutic potential for improving stress tolerance, disease resistance, growth performance, survival, and improved egg quality in farmed fish and crustaceans without exhibiting any cytotoxic effects. Moreover, the most evident effect is the pigmentation merit, where astaxanthin is supplemented in formulated diets to ameliorate the variegation of aquatic species and eventually product quality. Hence, carotenoid astaxanthin could be used as a curative supplement for farmed fish, since it is regarded as an ecologically friendly functional feed additive in the aquaculture industry. In this review, the currently available scientific literature regarding the most significant benefits of astaxanthin is discussed, with a particular focus on potential mechanisms of action responsible for its biological activities.

DNA Methylation in Algae and Its Impact on Abiotic Stress Responses

Epigenetics, referring to heritable gene regulatory information that is independent of changes in DNA sequences, is an important mechanism involved both in organism development and in the response to environmental events. About the epigenetic marks, DNA methylation is one of the most conserved mechanisms, playing a pivotal role in organism response to several biotic and abiotic stressors. Indeed, stress can induce changes in gene expression through hypo- or hyper-methylation of DNA at specific loci and/or in DNA methylation at the genome-wide level, which has an adaptive significance and can direct genome evolution. Exploring DNA methylation in responses to abiotic stress could have important implications for improving stress tolerance in algae. This article summarises the DNA methylation pattern in algae and its impact on abiotic stress, such as heavy metals, nutrients and temperature. Our discussion provides information for further research in algae for a better comprehension of the epigenetic response under abiotic stress, which could favour important implications to sustain algae growth under abiotic stress conditions, often related to high biosynthesis of interesting metabolites.

Functional analysis of phosphoethanolamine N-methyltransferase in plants and parasites: Essential S-adenosylmethionine-dependent methyltransferase in choline and phospholipid metabolism.

Phospholipids play an essential role as a barrier between cell content and the extracellular environment and regulate various cell signaling processes. Phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) is one of the most abundant phospholipids in plant, animal, and some prokaryote cell membranes. In plants and some parasites, the biosynthesis of PtdCho begins with the amino acid serine, followed mainly through a phosphoethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PMT)-mediated biosynthetic pathway to phosphocholine (pCho). Because the PMT-mediated pathway, referred to as the phosphobase methylation pathway, produces a series of important primary and specialized metabolites for plant development and stress response, understanding the PMT enzyme is a key aspect of engineering plants with improved stress tolerance and fortified nutrients. Importantly, given the very limited phylogenetic distribution of PMTs, functional analysis and the identification of inhibitors targeting PMTs have potential and positive impacts in humans and in veterinary and agricultural fields. Here, we describe detailed basic knowledge and practical research methods to enable the systematic study of the biochemical and biophysical functions of PMT. The research methods described in this chapter are also applicable to the studies of other ubiquitous S-adenosyl-l-methionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases in all kingdoms.

CUCUME: An RNA methylation database integrating systemic mRNAs signals, GWAS and QTL genetic regulation and epigenetics in different tissues of Cucurbitaceae

As an internal modification of transcripts, RNA methylation determines RNA fate by changing RNA–protein binding affinity. In plants, RNA methylation is ubiquitous and is involved in all aspects of RNA post-transcriptional regulation. For instance, long-distance mobile RNAs, strongly influenced by their methylation status, play important roles in plant growth, development and environmental adaptation. Cucumber/pumpkin heterografts are widely used to improve stress tolerance of cucumber and to study mobile RNA signals due to their strong developed vasculature system. Here, we developed the Cucume (Cucurbit RNA methylation, http://cucume.cn/) database for these two important vegetables, cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) and pumpkin (Cucurbita moschata) with high productivity worldwide. We identified mRNAs harboring 5-methylcytosine (m5C) and N6-methyladenosine (m6A) sites in pumpkin and cucumber at the whole genome level via Methylated RNA Immunoprecipitation sequencing (MeRIP-seq) of different tissues and the vascular exudates. In addition to RNA methylation sites, the Cucume database includes graft-transmissible systemic mRNAs identified in previous studies using cucumber/pumpkin heterografts. The further integration of cucumber genome-wide association analysis (GWAS) and quantitative trait loci (QTL) allows the study of RNA methylation-related genetic and epigenetic regulation in cucurbits. Therefore, the here developed Cucume database will promote understanding the role of cucurbit RNA methylation in RNA mobility and QTL, ultimately benefitting future breeding of agronomic crop germplasms.

Overexpression of gibberellin 2-oxidase 4 from tall fescue affected plant height, tillering and drought tolerance in rice

Gibberellin (GA) is an important phytohormone that regulates plant growth and development. GA-2-oxidases (GA2oxs) have been found to affect plant height, tillering and stress tolerance by inactivating endogenous bioactive GAs. The present study aimed to isolate GA2oxs genes from tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea), analyze their expression level under abiotic stresses (10% PEG6000 induced drought stress, 150 mM NaCl induced salt stress, heat stress at 38 °C, and cold stress at 4 °C) and search for valuable genes for improving stress tolerance. Among eight FaGA2ox genes, FaGA2ox4 was found to represent a highest expression level at 24 h of PEG-induced drought stress and was chosen for further analysis. Compared with wildtype plants, transgenic rice plants overexpressing FaGA2ox4 exhibited a dwarf and high-tillering phenotype and the dwarf phenotype was partially compensated by foliar application of 10 μM GA3. In addition, transgenic plants showed improved drought stress tolerance, as manifested by higher leaf relative water content and lower electrolyte leakage than wildtype. Further qRT-PCR analysis demonstrated that the enhanced drought stress tolerance may be associated with decreased expression levels of genes involved in chlorophyll degradation (OsSGRL) and GA synthesis (OsGA3ox1) as well as increased expression of ABA-synthesizing gene (OsNCED3) in transgenic plants overexpressing FaGA2ox4.

DsDBF1, a Type A-5 DREB Gene, Identified and Characterized in the Moss Dicranum scoparium.

Plant dehydration-responsive element binding (DREB) transcription factors (TFs) play important roles during stress tolerance by regulating the expression of numerous genes involved in stresses. DREB TFs have been extensively studied in a variety of angiosperms and bryophytes. To date, no information on the identification and characterization of DREB TFs in Dicranum scoparium has been reported. In this study, a new DBF1 gene from D. scoparium was identified by cloning and sequencing. Analysis of the conserved domain and physicochemical properties revealed that DsDBF1 protein has a classic AP2 domain encoding a 238 amino acid polypeptide with a molecular mass of 26 kDa and a pI of 5.98. Subcellular prediction suggested that DsDBF1 is a nuclear and cytoplasmic protein. Phylogenetic analysis showed that DsDBF1 belongs to group A-5 DREBs. Expression analysis by reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) revealed that DsDBF1 was significantly upregulated in response to abiotic stresses such as desiccation/rehydration, exposure to paraquat, CdCl2, high and freezing temperatures. Taken together, our data suggest that DsDBF1 could be a promising gene candidate to improve stress tolerance in crop plants, and the characterization of TFs of a stress tolerant moss such as D. scoparium provides a better understanding of plant adaptation mechanisms.