Drought-induced 19 gene FvDi19-3 from woodland strawberry enhances drought and salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis.

Key message: FvDi19-3 enhances drought and salt tolerance in Arabidopsis by promoting stomatal closure, improving the ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species, and increasing the expression of drought- or salt-responsive genes. Di19 (drought-induced 19) proteins play a crucial role in regulating plant development and various stress responses. However, a systematic identification and functional analysis of the Di19 gene family members in woodland strawberry has not yet been conducted. In this study, we identified four Di19 genes in woodland strawberry, and analyzed the phylogenetic tree, conserved protein domains, and gene structure. Cis-elements suggested that FvDi19 genes may be involved in plant development and stress responses. Gene expression analysis revealed diverse expression patterns of FvDi19 genes under different stress conditions, and overexpression of FvDi19 genes enhanced drought and salt tolerance in yeast. Transgenic and stress tolerance assays indicated that FvDi19-3 overexpression in Arabidopsis enhanced plant drought and salt tolerance by promoting stomatal closure, improving the plant's ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species and the expression of drought or salt-responsive genes. Further experiments indicated that FvWRKY42 and FvMYB114 can activate the expression of FvDi19-3, and expression of these three genes is dependent on the ABA signaling pathway. In conclusion, our study characterized the Di19 gene family in woodland strawberry and investigated the biological functions of FvDi19-3 in drought and salt tolerance, providing a basis for further functional studies of FvDi19 genes in responses to abiotic stress.