Genome-Wide Identification of PYL Gene Family in Zingiber officinale Roscoe Reveals the Function of ZoPYL11 Under Salt Stress.

Abstract

Soil salinization severely restricts the growth and productivity of ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.). The PYL gene family encodes core components of the abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway, which plays a pivotal role in plant responses to abiotic stresses. However, the PYL gene family in ginger has not been systematically characterized to date. In this study, 11 ZoPYL genes were identified from the ginger genome and phylogenetically clustered into four subfamilies. Promoter sequence analysis revealed the presence of multiple stress-responsive cis-elements, and transcriptional regulatory network prediction suggested that ZoPYL proteins are potentially regulated by MYB, bZIP, and other transcription factor families. Expression profiling indicated that most ZoPYL genes were upregulated in response to ABA treatment, while salt stress induced tissue-specific expression patterns of ZoPYLs, with ZoPYL11 being significantly upregulated in both leaves and roots. Silencing of ZoPYL11 enhanced ginger sensitivity to salt stress, accompanied by reduced activities of antioxidant enzymes and increased accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Concomitantly, the expression levels of ZoPP2C and ZoSnRK2 genes were dysregulated in ZoPYL11-silenced plants, indicating disrupted ABA signaling. This study provides a comprehensive characterization of the PYL gene family in ginger and demonstrates that ZoPYL11 plays a crucial role in enhancing salt tolerance by mediating ABA signaling and antioxidant defense.