Evolution of the WRKY Family in Angiosperms and Functional Diversity under Environmental Stress

TL;DR

This paper explores how the WRKY family of plant proteins evolved in flowering plants and how they help plants cope with environmental stress.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into the functional diversity and evolutionary patterns of WRKY transcription factors in angiosperms, particularly in Magnoliaceae.

Findings

WRKY transcription factors are crucial for plant adaptation to environmental stresses through pathways like ROS and hormone signaling.

The WRKY family is divided into three major groups in angiosperms based on conserved domains and structures.

The study highlights the role of WRKY proteins in physiological responses such as stomatal closure and leaf shrinkage.

Abstract

The transcription factor is an essential factor for regulating the responses of plants to external stimuli. The WRKY protein is a superfamily of plant transcription factors involved in response to various stresses (e.g., cold, heat, salt, drought, ions, pathogens, and insects). During angiosperm evolution, the number and function of WRKY transcription factors constantly change. After suffering from long-term environmental battering, plants of different evolutionary statuses ultimately retained different numbers of WRKY family members. The WRKY family of proteins is generally divided into three large categories of angiosperms, owing to their conserved domain and three-dimensional structures. The WRKY transcription factors mediate plant adaptation to various environments via participating in various biological pathways, such as ROS (reactive oxygen species) and hormone signaling pathways, further regulating plant enzyme systems, stomatal closure, and leaf shrinkage physiological responses. This article analyzed the evolution of the WRKY family in angiosperms and its functions in responding to various external environments, especially the function and evolution in Magnoliaceae plants. It helps to gain a deeper understanding of the evolution and functional diversity of the WRKY family and provides theoretical and experimental references for studying the molecular mechanisms of environmental stress.

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