Dehydrin PbDHN3 regulates ethylene synthesis and signal transduction to improve salt tolerance in pear

doi:10.1016/j.jia.2025.08.013

Journal of Integrative Agriculture

2025, Vol. 24

Issue (10): 3838-3850 DOI: 10.1016/j.jia.2025.08.013

Horticulture

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Dehydrin PbDHN3 regulates ethylene synthesis and signal transduction to improve salt tolerance in pear

Fuli Gao^1*, Zidong Wang^1*, Wankun Liu¹, Min Liu¹, Baoyi Wang¹, Yingjie Yang¹^,², Jiankun Song¹, Zhenhua Cui¹, Chenglin Liang³, Dingli Li¹, Ran Wang¹, Jianlong Liu^1#

¹Qingdao Key Laboratory of Genetic Improvement and Breeding in Horticultural Plants, Engineering Laboratory of Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops of Shandong Province, College of Horticulture, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266109, China

²Academy of Dongying Efficient Agricultural Technology and Industry on Saline and Alkaline Land in Collaboration with Qingdao Agricultural University, Dongying 257000, China

³Haidu College, Qingdao Agricultural University, Laiyang 265200, China

Highlights

● PbDHN3 enhanced salt tolerance in pear.
● PbDHN3 precisely regulated ethylene synthesis and signaling transduction, thereby enhancing salt tolerance in plants.
● OE-PbDHN3 pear plants exhibited enhanced growth and root development.

Abstract
References

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摘要

脱水素（DHN）通过调节渗透调节物质的合成和清除活性氧，增强植物抗性。然而，PbDHN3在盐胁迫条件下的功能尚不清楚。本研究中，盐胁迫诱导了梨PbDHN3的高表达，而过表达（OE-PbDHN3）植株显著提高了梨在盐胁迫下的生长，与野生型相比表现出更高的叶绿素含量和根系生长能力。转录组分析表明，PbDHN3的表达与乙烯信号转导途径相关。OE-PbDHN3转基因植物显著影响乙烯含量及其相关基因的表达。然而，在外源乙烯利处理后，转基因株系显著抑制了乙烯合成和信号转导过程。经过外源乙烯和乙烯抑制剂1-MCP处理的OE-PbDHN3转基因株系显著抑制了乙烯合成和信号转导，同时，根系发育增强和叶绿素含量增多。在盐胁迫下，OE-PbDHN3在胁迫早期抑制了乙烯生物合成基因PbACO1-like和PbACO2以及乙烯信号转导基因PbEIN3-like的表达，这种早期调控效应减轻了盐胁迫对植物的损伤。综上所述，我们的结果表明，PbDHN3通过调节乙烯合成和信号转导，增强了植株的盐胁迫抗性。

Abstract

Dehydrin (DHN) enhances plant resistance to environmental stress by regulating the synthesis of osmotic adjustment substances and scavenging reactive oxygen species. However, the role of PbDHN3 under salt stress remains unclear. In this study, salt stress induced high expression of PbDHN3, and the overexpression of PbDHN3 (OE-PbDHN3) enhanced plant growth under salt stress compared to wild-type (WT) plants. OE-PbDHN3 plants exhibited higher chlorophyll content and root growth capacity than WT plants under salt stress. Transcriptome analysis revealed that PbDHN3 expression is associated with ethylene signaling pathways. OE-PbDHN3 transgenic plants substantially influenced ethylene content and the expression of related genes. Following treatment with exogenous ethephon, the transgenic lines notably inhibited the processes of ethylene synthesis and signaling transduction. OE-PbDHN3 transgenic lines treated with exogenous ethylene and the ethylene inhibitor 1-MCP demonstrated significant inhibition of ethylene synthesis and signaling transduction, while promoting root development and chlorophyll content. Under salt stress, OE-PbDHN3 downregulated the expression of ethylene biosynthesis genes PbACO1-like and PbACO2, and signal transduction genes PbEIN3-like during the initial stress phase. This early regulation mitigated the adverse effects of salt stress on the plants. These findings demonstrate that PbDHN3 ameliorates the ethylene-mediated plant growth phenotype under salt stress through regulation of ethylene synthesis and signal transduction.

Keywords: dehydrin salt stress ethylene biosynthesis pear

Received: 04 August 2024 Online: 19 August 2025 Accepted: 29 April 2025

Fund:

This work was funded by the Earmarked Fund for CARS (CARS-28-07), the Agricultural Variety Improvement Project of Shandong Province, China (2022LZGC011), and the Qingdao Agricultural University Doctoral Start-Up Fund, China.

About author: #Correspondence Jianlong Liu, E-mail: 201901068@qau.edu.cn * These authors contributed equally to this study.

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