Abstract
Key message
Eleven Alfin-like (AL) genes were obtained from apple and MdAL4 was selected for improving drought stress tolerance of transgenic apple callus and Arabidopsis.
Abstract
Drought is an important environmental factor affecting plant growth all over the world. Alfin-like (AL) have well-documented functions in abiotic stress response, but their drought stress tolerance in apple (Malus domestica) are poorly understood. According to the transcriptome data, 11 MdAL genes containing conserved Alfin and PHD-finger domain were identified in apple and divided into three subgroups with a total of 35 members from different species. Subsequently, gene structures, conserved amino acid sequences, promoter cis-acting elements, and gene evolution events were analyzed. Based on differential expression of MdALs in response to abiotic stresses, MdAL4, which was highly expressed under drought, was further cloned and investigated. MdAL4 encoding nuclear-localized protein conferred enhanced drought tolerance in overexpressing transgenic calli of apple ‘Orin’. Moreover, the ectopic expression of MdAL4 improved the drought tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis, as judged from remarkably decreased malonaldehyde (MDA) content and electrolyte leakage in MdAL4 overexpressing plants relative to WT. Furthermore, MdAL4 possibly could bind to promoter regions of ROS-scavenging and stress-related genes to improve drought tolerance. Additionally, we found in silico evidence that three proteins containing the WD40 domain that interact with MdAL4. Based on these results, MdAL4 was identified as a positive regulator for improving drought stress of apple.
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This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (31860530) and College Industry Support and Guidance Project of Gansu Province (2019C11).
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PW performed the analyses and wrote the manuscript. SL participated in the discussion on picture drawing of this manuscript. BC, JM, WL, and ZM revised the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.
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Wang, P., Lu, S., Li, W. et al. Genome-wide characterization of Alfin-like (AL) genes in apple and functional identification of MdAL4 in response to drought stress. Plant Cell Rep 42, 395–408 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-022-02966-8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-022-02966-8