Heterologous overexpression of Sorghum genes SbSK41 and SbSK42 enhances drought and salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

IF 8.1 Q1 PLANT SCIENCES

Plant Stress Pub Date : 2026-07-01 Epub Date: 2026-07-10 DOI:10.1016/j.stress.2026.101473

Yaofei Zhao, Shangjie Niu, Gengdeng Cuo, Yuhuan Yang, Qidi Chen, Gesang Lamao, Yaqiong Li

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Abstract

Sorghum is a multi-purpose crop used for food, brewing, and animal feed. Meanwhile, its exceptional stress tolerance establishes sorghum as an ideal model crop for dissecting plant stress response mechanisms. Glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3)-like kinases (GSKs) are widely present in eukaryotes and play a crucial role in regulating plant stress responses; however, the specific functions of GSKs in sorghum remain unclear. In this study, a total of seven GSK genes were identified in sorghum. Expression pattern analysis revealed that two members of subfamily IV, SbSK41 and SbSK42, were significantly upregulated under osmotic and salt stress conditions. Further functional verification demonstrated that heterologous overexpression of these two genes in Arabidopsis markedly enhanced its tolerance to drought and high-salinity stresses by stabilizing root system development and promoting the expression of stress-responsive genes. This study preliminarily reveals the positive regulatory roles of sorghum SbSK41 and SbSK42 genes in plant drought and salt stress responses, providing new insights for further elucidating the stress tolerance mechanisms in sorghum.

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高粱SbSK41和SbSK42基因的异源过表达增强了拟南芥的耐旱性和耐盐性

高粱是一种多用途作物，用于食品、酿造和动物饲料。同时，其优异的抗逆性使高粱成为解剖植物逆境反应机制的理想模式作物。糖原合成酶激酶3 （GSK3）样激酶（GSK3）广泛存在于真核生物中，在调节植物的逆境反应中起重要作用；然而，gsk在高粱中的具体功能尚不清楚。本研究共从高粱中鉴定出7个GSK基因。表达模式分析显示，在渗透和盐胁迫条件下，SbSK41和SbSK42两个亚家族成员的表达量显著上调。进一步的功能验证表明，这两个基因在拟南芥中外源过表达，通过稳定根系发育和促进胁迫响应基因的表达，显著增强了拟南芥对干旱和高盐胁迫的耐受性。本研究初步揭示了高粱SbSK41和SbSK42基因在植物干旱和盐胁迫应答中的正调控作用，为进一步阐明高粱的抗逆性机制提供了新的思路。

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来源期刊

Plant Stress PLANT SCIENCES-

CiteScore

5.20

自引率

8.00%

发文量

审稿时长

63 days

期刊介绍： The journal Plant Stress deals with plant (or other photoautotrophs, such as algae, cyanobacteria and lichens) responses to abiotic and biotic stress factors that can result in limited growth and productivity. Such responses can be analyzed and described at a physiological, biochemical and molecular level. Experimental approaches/technologies aiming to improve growth and productivity with a potential for downstream validation under stress conditions will also be considered. Both fundamental and applied research manuscripts are welcome, provided that clear mechanistic hypotheses are made and descriptive approaches are avoided. In addition, high-quality review articles will also be considered, provided they follow a critical approach and stimulate thought for future research avenues. Plant Stress welcomes high-quality manuscripts related (but not limited) to interactions between plants and: Lack of water (drought) and excess (flooding), Salinity stress, Elevated temperature and/or low temperature (chilling and freezing), Hypoxia and/or anoxia, Mineral nutrient excess and/or deficiency, Heavy metals and/or metalloids, Plant priming (chemical, biological, physiological, nanomaterial, biostimulant) approaches for improved stress protection, Viral, phytoplasma, bacterial and fungal plant-pathogen interactions. The journal welcomes basic and applied research articles, as well as review articles and short communications. All submitted manuscripts will be subject to a thorough peer-reviewing process.