Molecular Pathways of WRKY Genes in Regulating Plant Salinity Tolerance

Overview

Journal Int J Mol Sci

Publisher MDPI

Specialties Biochemistry
Chemistry
Molecular Biology

Date 2022 Sep 23

PMID 36142857

Authors

Lewis Price

Yong Han

Tefera Angessa

Chengdao Li

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Salinity is a natural and anthropogenic process that plants overcome using various responses. Salinity imposes a two-phase effect, simplified into the initial osmotic challenges and subsequent salinity-specific ion toxicities from continual exposure to sodium and chloride ions. Plant responses to salinity encompass a complex gene network involving osmotic balance, ion transport, antioxidant response, and hormone signaling pathways typically mediated by transcription factors. One particular transcription factor mega family, , is a principal regulator of salinity responses. Here, we categorize a collection of known salinity-responding and summarize their molecular pathways. collectively play a part in regulating osmotic balance, ion transport response, antioxidant response, and hormone signaling pathways in plants. Particular attention is given to the hormone signaling pathway to illuminate the relationship between and abscisic acid signaling. Observed trends among are highlighted, including group II as major regulators of the salinity response. We recommend renaming existing and adopting a naming system to a standardized format based on protein structure.

Citing Articles

Regulation of Root Exudation in Wheat Plants in Response to Alkali Stress.

Wang H, Zhao S, Qi Z, Yang C, Ding D, Xiao B Plants (Basel). 2024; 13(9).

PMID: 38732442 PMC: 11085862. DOI: 10.3390/plants13091227.

Genome-wide identification of WRKY transcription factors in Casuarina equisetifolia and the function analysis of CeqWRKY11 in response to NaCl/NaHCO stresses.

Zhao X, Qi G, Liu J, Chen K, Miao X, Hussain J BMC Plant Biol. 2024; 24(1):376.

PMID: 38714947 PMC: 11077731. DOI: 10.1186/s12870-024-04889-w.

Genomic analyses provide insights into the evolution and salinity adaptation of halophyte Tamarix chinensis.

Liu J, Fang H, Liang Q, Dong Y, Wang C, Yan L Gigascience. 2023; 12.

PMID: 37494283 PMC: 10370455. DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giad053.

Improvement of Seed Germination under Salt Stress via Overexpressing Caffeic Acid O-methyltransferase 1 (SlCOMT1) in Solanum lycopersicum L.

Ge L, Yang X, Liu Y, Tang H, Wang Q, Chu S Int J Mol Sci. 2023; 24(1).

PMID: 36614180 PMC: 9821337. DOI: 10.3390/ijms24010734.

References

He G, Xu J, Wang Y, Liu J, Li P, Chen M . Drought-responsive WRKY transcription factor genes TaWRKY1 and TaWRKY33 from wheat confer drought and/or heat resistance in Arabidopsis. BMC Plant Biol. 2016; 16(1):116. PMC: 4877946. DOI: 10.1186/s12870-016-0806-4. View

Maeo K, Hayashi S, Morikami A, Nakamura K . Role of conserved residues of the WRKY domain in the DNA-binding of tobacco WRKY family proteins. Biosci Biotechnol Biochem. 2002; 65(11):2428-36. DOI: 10.1271/bbb.65.2428. View

Li P, Song A, Gao C, Wang L, Wang Y, Sun J . Chrysanthemum WRKY gene CmWRKY17 negatively regulates salt stress tolerance in transgenic chrysanthemum and Arabidopsis plants. Plant Cell Rep. 2015; 34(8):1365-78. DOI: 10.1007/s00299-015-1793-x. View

Lee F, Yeap W, Ross Appleton D, Ho C, Kulaveerasingam H . Identification of drought responsive Elaeis guineensis WRKY transcription factors with sensitivity to other abiotic stresses and hormone treatments. BMC Genomics. 2022; 23(1):164. PMC: 8882277. DOI: 10.1186/s12864-022-08378-y. View

Huang S, Gao Y, Liu J, Peng X, Niu X, Fei Z . Genome-wide analysis of WRKY transcription factors in Solanum lycopersicum. Mol Genet Genomics. 2012; 287(6):495-513. DOI: 10.1007/s00438-012-0696-6. View

Hu Y, Chen L, Wang H, Zhang L, Wang F, Yu D . Arabidopsis transcription factor WRKY8 functions antagonistically with its interacting partner VQ9 to modulate salinity stress tolerance. Plant J. 2013; 74(5):730-45. DOI: 10.1111/tpj.12159. View

Yan L, Baoxiang W, Jingfang L, Zhiguang S, Ming C, Yungao X . A novel SAPK10-WRKY87-ABF1 biological pathway synergistically enhance abiotic stress tolerance in transgenic rice (Oryza sativa). Plant Physiol Biochem. 2021; 168:252-262. DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2021.10.006. View

Shi W, Hao L, Li J, Liu D, Guo X, Li H . The Gossypium hirsutum WRKY gene GhWRKY39-1 promotes pathogen infection defense responses and mediates salt stress tolerance in transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana. Plant Cell Rep. 2013; 33(3):483-98. DOI: 10.1007/s00299-013-1548-5. View

Xie Z, Zhang Z, Zou X, Huang J, Ruas P, Thompson D . Annotations and functional analyses of the rice WRKY gene superfamily reveal positive and negative regulators of abscisic acid signaling in aleurone cells. Plant Physiol. 2004; 137(1):176-89. PMC: 548849. DOI: 10.1104/pp.104.054312. View

10.

Ishiguro S, Nakamura K . Characterization of a cDNA encoding a novel DNA-binding protein, SPF1, that recognizes SP8 sequences in the 5' upstream regions of genes coding for sporamin and beta-amylase from sweet potato. Mol Gen Genet. 1994; 244(6):563-71. DOI: 10.1007/BF00282746. View

11.

Seo M, Peeters A, Koiwai H, Oritani T, Marion-Poll A, Zeevaart J . The Arabidopsis aldehyde oxidase 3 (AAO3) gene product catalyzes the final step in abscisic acid biosynthesis in leaves. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2000; 97(23):12908-13. PMC: 18863. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.220426197. View

12.

Liu X, Song Y, Xing F, Wang N, Wen F, Zhu C . GhWRKY25, a group I WRKY gene from cotton, confers differential tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses in transgenic Nicotiana benthamiana. Protoplasma. 2015; 253(5):1265-81. DOI: 10.1007/s00709-015-0885-3. View

13.

El Moukhtari A, Cabassa-Hourton C, Farissi M, Savoure A . How Does Proline Treatment Promote Salt Stress Tolerance During Crop Plant Development?. Front Plant Sci. 2020; 11:1127. PMC: 7390974. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.01127. View

14.

Zhang H, Xu W, Chen H, Chen J, Liu X, Chen X . Transcriptomic analysis of salt tolerance-associated genes and diversity analysis using indel markers in yardlong bean (Vigna unguiculata ssp. sesquipedialis). BMC Genom Data. 2021; 22(1):34. PMC: 8447766. DOI: 10.1186/s12863-021-00989-w. View

15.

More P, Agarwal P, Joshi P, Agarwal P . The JcWRKY tobacco transgenics showed improved photosynthetic efficiency and wax accumulation during salinity. Sci Rep. 2019; 9(1):19617. PMC: 6928016. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-56087-6. View

16.

Gao Y, Liu J, Yang F, Zhang G, Wang D, Zhang L . The WRKY transcription factor WRKY8 promotes resistance to pathogen infection and mediates drought and salt stress tolerance in Solanum lycopersicum. Physiol Plant. 2019; 168(1):98-117. DOI: 10.1111/ppl.12978. View

17.

Zhang H, Mittal N, Leamy L, Barazani O, Song B . Back into the wild-Apply untapped genetic diversity of wild relatives for crop improvement. Evol Appl. 2016; 10(1):5-24. PMC: 5192947. DOI: 10.1111/eva.12434. View

18.

Tan B, Joseph L, Deng W, Liu L, Li Q, Cline K . Molecular characterization of the Arabidopsis 9-cis epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase gene family. Plant J. 2003; 35(1):44-56. DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-313x.2003.01786.x. View

19.

Gao H, Wang Y, Xu P, Zhang Z . Overexpression of a WRKY Transcription Factor Enhances Drought Stress Tolerance in Transgenic Wheat. Front Plant Sci. 2018; 9:997. PMC: 6090177. DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00997. View

20.

Song Y, Li J, Sui Y, Han G, Zhang Y, Guo S . The sweet sorghum SbWRKY50 is negatively involved in salt response by regulating ion homeostasis. Plant Mol Biol. 2020; 102(6):603-614. DOI: 10.1007/s11103-020-00966-4. View