Overexpression of MdZAT5, an C2H2-Type Zinc Finger Protein, Regulates Anthocyanin Accumulation and Salt Stress Response in Apple Calli and <i>Arabidopsis</i>

Da-Ru Wang; Kuo Yang; Xun Wang; Xiao-Lu Lin; Lin Rui; Hao-Feng Liu; Dan-Dan Liu; Chun-Xiang You

doi:10.3390/ijms23031897

International Journal of Molecular Sciences (Feb 2022)

Overexpression of MdZAT5, an C2H2-Type Zinc Finger Protein, Regulates Anthocyanin Accumulation and Salt Stress Response in Apple Calli and <i>Arabidopsis</i>

Da-Ru Wang,
Kuo Yang,
Xun Wang,
Xiao-Lu Lin,
Lin Rui,
Hao-Feng Liu,
Dan-Dan Liu,
Chun-Xiang You

Affiliations

Da-Ru Wang: National Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, National Research Center for Apple Engineering and Technology, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China
Kuo Yang: National Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, National Research Center for Apple Engineering and Technology, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China
Xun Wang: National Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, National Research Center for Apple Engineering and Technology, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China
Xiao-Lu Lin: College of Plant Protection, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China
Lin Rui: National Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, National Research Center for Apple Engineering and Technology, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China
Hao-Feng Liu: National Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, National Research Center for Apple Engineering and Technology, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China
Dan-Dan Liu: College of Agriculture, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
Chun-Xiang You: National Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, National Research Center for Apple Engineering and Technology, College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Taian 271018, China

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23031897
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 23, no. 3
p. 1897

Abstract

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Zinc finger proteins are widely involved and play an important role in plant growth and abiotic stress. In this research, MdZAT5, a gene encoding C2H2-type zinc finger protein, was cloned and investigated. The MdZAT5 was highly expressed in flower tissues by qRT-PCR analyses and GUS staining. Promoter analysis showed that MdZAT5 contained multiple response elements, and the expression levels of MdZAT5 were induced by various abiotic stress treatments. Overexpression of MdZAT5 in apple calli positively regulated anthocyanin accumulation by activating the expressions of anthocyanin biosynthesis-related genes. Overexpression of MdZAT5 in Arabidopsis also enhanced the accumulation of anthocyanin. In addition, MdZAT5 increased the sensitivity to salt stress in apple calli. Ectopic expression of MdZAT5 in Arabidopsis reduced the expression of salt-stress-related genes (AtNHX1 and AtABI1) and improved the sensitivity to salt stress. In conclusion, these results suggest that MdZAT5 plays a positive regulatory role in anthocyanin accumulation and negatively regulates salt resistance.

Published in International Journal of Molecular Sciences

ISSN: 1661-6596 (Print); 1422-0067 (Online)
Publisher: MDPI AG
Country of publisher: Switzerland
LCC subjects: Science: Biology (General); Science: Chemistry
Website: http://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijms

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