The moso bamboo WRKY transcription factor, PheWRKY86, regulates drought tolerance in transgenic plants

PheWRKY86 is a member of the WRKY transcription factor family in moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis). Expression of PheWRKY86 is strongly induced by drought and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments. The PheWRKY86 protein localizes to the cell nucleus and is specifically able to bind to W-box elements. 35S:PheWRKY86 transgenic Arabidopsis and rice showed significantly improved tolerance to drought stress. 35S:PheWRKY86 transgenic plants exhibited better water retention and lower relative electrolyte leakage (REL) and malondialdehyde (MDA) compared to wild type plants. Moreover, 35S:PheWRKY86 transgenic lines showed higher sensitivity to ABA stress. The 35S:PheWRKY86 transgenic plants exhibited higher ABA levels relative to wild type, while also exhibiting a lower germination rate, root length and fresh weight compared to wild type. Further analysis showed that expression of some ABA-responsive genes was changed in the 35S:PheWRKY86 transgenic lines under drought conditions. Transient expression and yeast one-hybrid assays demonstrated that PheWRKY86 could bind to the W-box element in the promoter region of NCED1. Taken together, these results demonstrate that PheWRKY86 plays a positive role in drought tolerance by regulating NCED1 expression.