The ERF Transcription Factor ERF41 Negatively Regulates Drought and Salt Tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana

TL;DR

This study finds that the ERF41 gene in Arabidopsis reduces the plant's ability to handle drought and salt stress, offering a target for improving crop resilience.

Contribution

The novel contribution is identifying AtERF41 as a negative regulator of drought and salt tolerance in Arabidopsis.

Findings

The erf41 mutant showed better seed germination and growth under drought and salt stress compared to the wild type.

The mutant had higher levels of SOD and proline, and lower MDA content, indicating improved stress response.

AtERF41 negatively regulates plant tolerance to abiotic stresses, providing a target for crop improvement.

Abstract

Drought and salt stresses severely impair plant growth and development worldwide. DEHYDRATION-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING proteins (DREBs), as a subfamily of the AP2/ERF transcription factor superfamily, play critical regulatory roles in plant biological processes including growth and development, as well as the adaptive response to various abiotic stresses. Based on the transcriptome data analysis of Medicago truncatula under saline-alkali stress previously conducted in our laboratory, a gene responsive to saline-alkali stress, Medtr3g110205, was identified, and its homologous gene in Arabidopsis thaliana, AtERF41 (AT5G11590), was obtained via BLAST (version BLAST+ 2.17.0.). The mutant erf41 was used to explore its biological functions in response to drought and salt stresses. The results showed that under salt and drought stress conditions, the seed germination rate, and growth status of the erf41 mutant were all better than those of the wild type. Further determination of physiological and biochemical indicators revealed that the leaf contents of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and proline (Pro) in the leaves of the mutant plants were significantly higher than those in the wild type, while the malondialdehyde (MDA) content was significantly decreased. In conclusion, the AtERF41 gene negatively regulates salt and drought tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana, providing a potential target for the genetic improvement of crop stress tolerance. This study not only deepens our understanding of the role of DREB transcription factors in plant stress response but also provides a theoretical basis for improving crop stress tolerance using genetic engineering technology in the future.

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