Transcriptome analysis and functional validation reveal the mechanism of action of NtCaM13 in drought stress in tobacco plants

IF 5.7 2区生物学 Q1 PLANT SCIENCES

Plant Physiology and Biochemistry Pub Date : 2025-09-18 DOI:10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110538

Yingying Li , Zixuan Ge , Kunhao Guan , Can Liu , Yuyin Zhang , Jie Yang , Jianbo Chang , Zongliang Xia , Xiaoyan Dai

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Drought stress significantly affects tobacco growth and crop productivity; hence, studying the molecular processes of drought resistance is vital. Calmodulin plays a crucial role in plant stress responses as a calcium sensor. However, the functional role of NtCaM13 in drought resistance remains poorly understood. In this study, we found that NtCaM13 overexpression (OE) markedly increased plant resistance to drought, whereas knockout (KO) mutants exhibited heightened susceptibility to water deficit. OE of NtCaM13 reduced drought-induced oxidative damage by increasing antioxidant enzyme activity. Furthermore, transgenic plants overexpressing NtCaM13 exhibited increased antioxidant gene expression, decreased stomatal conductance, and improved water-retention capacity. Nevertheless, the opposite trend was observed in NtCaM13 KO plants. Further RNA-seq analysis revealed that OE of NtCaM13 enhanced the expression of genes involved in stomatal development and closure (ERL1 and SCRM2), cuticle/cell wall reinforcement (LCAO, CYP86A7, PRP1, and XTH9), osmotic regulation (AQP and ProDH2), and antioxidant defense (NUDT17). Conversely, the expression of these genes was diminished in NtCaM13 KO plants. These findings suggested that NtCaM13 positively regulates drought stress in tobacco, providing new directions for identifying candidate genes for improving drought tolerance in tobacco.

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转录组分析和功能验证揭示了NtCaM13在烟草干旱胁迫中的作用机制

干旱胁迫显著影响烟草生长和作物产量；因此，研究抗旱性的分子过程至关重要。钙调素作为一种钙传感器在植物的逆境响应中起着至关重要的作用。然而，NtCaM13在抗旱性中的功能作用仍然知之甚少。在这项研究中，我们发现NtCaM13过表达（OE）显著增加了植物对干旱的抗性，而敲除（KO）突变体对水分缺乏表现出更高的敏感性。NtCaM13的OE通过增加抗氧化酶活性来减轻干旱诱导的氧化损伤。此外，过表达NtCaM13的转基因植物表现出抗氧化基因表达增加，气孔导度降低，保水能力提高。然而，在NtCaM13 KO植株中观察到相反的趋势。进一步的RNA-seq分析显示，NtCaM13的OE增强了气孔发育和关闭基因（ERL1和SCRM2）、角质层/细胞壁强化基因（LCAO、CYP86A7、PRP1和XTH9）、渗透调节基因（AQP和ProDH2）和抗氧化防御基因（NUDT17）的表达。相反，这些基因的表达在NtCaM13 KO植株中减少。这些发现提示NtCaM13正调控烟草干旱胁迫，为鉴定烟草抗旱性候选基因提供了新的方向。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 生物-植物科学

CiteScore

11.10

自引率

3.10%

发文量

410

审稿时长

33 days

期刊介绍： Plant Physiology and Biochemistry publishes original theoretical, experimental and technical contributions in the various fields of plant physiology (biochemistry, physiology, structure, genetics, plant-microbe interactions, etc.) at diverse levels of integration (molecular, subcellular, cellular, organ, whole plant, environmental). Opinions expressed in the journal are the sole responsibility of the authors and publication does not imply the editors'' agreement. Manuscripts describing molecular-genetic and/or gene expression data that are not integrated with biochemical analysis and/or actual measurements of plant physiological processes are not suitable for PPB. Also "Omics" studies (transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics, etc.) reporting descriptive analysis without an element of functional validation assays, will not be considered. Similarly, applied agronomic or phytochemical studies that generate no new, fundamental insights in plant physiological and/or biochemical processes are not suitable for publication in PPB. Plant Physiology and Biochemistry publishes several types of articles: Reviews, Papers and Short Papers. Articles for Reviews are either invited by the editor or proposed by the authors for the editor''s prior agreement. Reviews should not exceed 40 typewritten pages and Short Papers no more than approximately 8 typewritten pages. The fundamental character of Plant Physiology and Biochemistry remains that of a journal for original results.