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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2014, Vol. 50 ›› Issue (3): 31-37.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.20140305

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Transformation of Zinc Finger Protein Transcription Factor Gene (ZxZF) and Preliminary Evaluation of Drought Tolerance in Populus × euramericana

Zhang Weixi1, Liu Boyang2, Ding Changjun1, Zhang Bingyu1, Huang Qinjun1, Chu Yanguang1, Su Xiaohua1   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Tree Genetics and Breeding Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of State Forestry Administration Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry Beijing 100091;
    2. Beijing Forestry University Beijing 100083
  • Received:2013-11-12 Revised:2013-11-22 Online:2014-03-25 Published:2014-04-16
  • Contact: 苏晓华

Abstract:

The C2H2 zinc finger protein transcription factor plays an important role in the activation of stress-related genes, and increase in plant resistance. In this study, an C2H2 zinc finger protein transcription factor (ZxZF) from shrub Sarcozygium xanthoxylon with strong drought tolerance was used as exogenous gene,and the Agrobacterium-mediated method was applied for transgenic transformation to an elite hybrid clone of Populus × euramericana cl.‘Bofeng1’. A total 80 resistant plants were gained via strict selection by kanamycin. Among them 17 positive transgenic plants were verified by PCR analysis, and five transgenic plants were finally confirmed with one copy of the exogenous gene by Southern blot analysis. Four of these clones were verified over-expression of ZxZF by RT-PCR and qRT-PCR analysis. Under the drought stress conditions, transgenic clones showed more than 10% significantly higher of relative water content (RWC) and accumulation of proline content, compared with non-transgenic control plants. These results showed an improved tolerance to drought stress in transgenic poplar. Our study suggested that ZxZF transcription factor played a crucial role in transgene poplar response to drought stress and was useful in developing trees with enhanced tolerance to drought.

Key words: Populus×euramericana, zinc-finger protein gene, genetic transformation, drought resistance

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