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Wheat mitogen-activated protein kinase gene TaMPK4 improves plant tolerance to multiple stresses through modifying root growth, ROS metabolism, and nutrient acquisitions

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Abstract

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Wheat MAPK member TaMPK4 responds to abiotic stresses of Pi and N deprivations and high salinity and is crucial in regulating plant tolerance to aforementioned stresses.

Abstract

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades are important signal transduction modules in regulating plant responses to various environmental stresses. In this study, a wheat MAPK member referred to TaMPK4 was characterized for its roles in mediating plant tolerance to diverse stresses. TaMPK4 shares conserved domains generally identified in plant MAPKs and possesses in vitro kinase activity. Under stresses of Pi and N deprivations and high salinity, TaMPK4 was strongly upregulated and its expressions were restored upon recovery treatments from above stresses. Sense- and antisense-expressing TaMPK4 in tobacco significantly modified plant growth under the stress conditions and dramatically modified the root architecture through transcriptional regulation of the auxin transport-associated genes NtPIN3 and NtPIN9, whose downregulated expressions dramatically reduced the root growth. Compared with wild type (WT), the antioxidant enzymatic activities under the stress conditions, P accumulation under P deprivation, and N amount under N deficiency were altered dramatically in the transgenic plants, showing higher in the TaMPK4-overexpressing and lower in the TaMPK4-knockout plants, which were in concordance with the modified expressions of a set of antioxidant enzyme genes (NtPOD2;1, NtPOD9, NtSOD2, NtFeSOD, and NtCAT), two phosphate transporter genes (NtPT and NtPT2), and two nitrate transporter genes (NtNRT1.1-s and NtNRT1.1-t), respectively. Downregulated expression of above genes in tobacco largely reduced the plant growth, and Pi and N acquisitions under the stress conditions. TaMPK4 also involved regulations of plant K+ and osmolyte contents under high salinity. Thus, TaMPK4 is functional in regulating plant tolerance to diverse stresses through modifying various biological processes.

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Abbreviations

ABA:

Abscisic acid

CAT:

Catalase

EASA:

Effective absorption surface area

IAA:

Indole-3-acetic acid

LR:

Lateral root

MAPK:

Mitogen-activated protein kinases

MDA:

Malondialdehyde

NPQ:

Nonphotochemical quenching

NRT:

Nitrate transporter

ORF:

Open reading frame

PT:

Phosphate transporter

POD:

Peroxidase

PSII:

Photosystem II

P n :

Photosynthetic rate

PR:

Primary root

qPCR:

Quantitative polymerism chain reaction

ROS:

Reactive oxidative species

RSA:

Root system architecture

SOD:

Superoxide dismutase

TASA:

Total absorption surface area

WT:

Wild type

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31,371,618), the Natural Science Foundation of Hebei (No. C2015204048), the National Transgenic Major Program (No. 2011ZX08008) and the Key Laboratory of Crop Growth Regulation of Hebei Province.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Agronomy, Agricultural University of Hebei, No. 289, Lingyusi Stresst, Baoding, 071001, People’s Republic of China

    Yanli Wen, Yuanyuan Zhao & Kai Xiao

  2. College of Life Sciences, Agricultural University of Hebei, No. 289, Lingyusi Stresst, Baoding, 071001, People’s Republic of China

    Lin Hao, Yanli Wen & Wenjing Lu

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  1. Lin Hao
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  2. Yanli Wen
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  3. Yuanyuan Zhao
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  4. Wenjing Lu
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  5. Kai Xiao
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Correspondence to Wenjing Lu or Kai Xiao.

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Communicated by E. Benvenuto.

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Hao, L., Wen, Y., Zhao, Y. et al. Wheat mitogen-activated protein kinase gene TaMPK4 improves plant tolerance to multiple stresses through modifying root growth, ROS metabolism, and nutrient acquisitions. Plant Cell Rep 34, 2081–2097 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00299-015-1853-2

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