<i>MdGRF22</i>, a 14-3-3 Family Gene in Apple, Negatively Regulates Drought Tolerance via Modulation of Antioxidant Activity and Interaction with <i>MdSK</i>

The 14-3-3 proteins play crucial roles in regulating plant growth, development, signal transduction and abiotic stress responses. However, there exists a scarcity of research on the role of 14-3-3 proteins in responding to abiotic stress in apples. In this study, we isolated the <i>MdGRF22<...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jiaxuan Ren, Hong Wang, Mingxin Zhao, Guoping Liang, Shixiong Lu, Juan Mao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-06-01
Series:Plants
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/1968
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849704249247662080
author Jiaxuan Ren
Hong Wang
Mingxin Zhao
Guoping Liang
Shixiong Lu
Juan Mao
author_facet Jiaxuan Ren
Hong Wang
Mingxin Zhao
Guoping Liang
Shixiong Lu
Juan Mao
author_sort Jiaxuan Ren
collection DOAJ
description The 14-3-3 proteins play crucial roles in regulating plant growth, development, signal transduction and abiotic stress responses. However, there exists a scarcity of research on the role of 14-3-3 proteins in responding to abiotic stress in apples. In this study, we isolated the <i>MdGRF22</i> gene from the apple 14-3-3 family. Through the screening of interacting proteins and genetic transformation of <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> and apple callus tissues, the function of the <i>MdGRF22</i> gene under drought stress was verified. The coding sequence (CDS) of <i>MdGRF22</i> consists of 786 bp and encodes for 261 amino acids. Through sequence alignment, the conserved 14-3-3 domain was identified in <i>MdGRF22</i> and its homologous genes, which also share similar gene structures and conserved motifs. Subcellular localization revealed that the MdGRF22 protein was predominantly located in the cytoplasm and cell membrane. The yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) analysis demonstrated a possible interaction between <i>MdGRF22</i> and <i>MdSK</i>. In addition, <i>MdGRF22</i> transgenic plants generally exhibited lower superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities, higher malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and relative electrolyte leakage under drought conditions compared with wild-type (WT) plants. Our study suggests that <i>MdGRF22</i> may reduce the drought resistance of transgenic <i>A. thaliana</i> and callus tissues by interacting with <i>MdSK.</i> This study provides a theoretical basis for further exploring the function of 14-3-3 family genes.
format Article
id doaj-art-dc941bcbae374d7c917d4597fec106e6
institution DOAJ
issn 2223-7747
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher MDPI AG
record_format Article
series Plants
spelling doaj-art-dc941bcbae374d7c917d4597fec106e62025-08-20T03:16:50ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472025-06-011413196810.3390/plants14131968<i>MdGRF22</i>, a 14-3-3 Family Gene in Apple, Negatively Regulates Drought Tolerance via Modulation of Antioxidant Activity and Interaction with <i>MdSK</i>Jiaxuan Ren0Hong Wang1Mingxin Zhao2Guoping Liang3Shixiong Lu4Juan Mao5Institute of Forestry, Fruits and Floriculture, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaInstitute of Forestry, Fruits and Floriculture, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaInstitute of Forestry, Fruits and Floriculture, Gansu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCollege of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCollege of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCollege of Horticulture, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaThe 14-3-3 proteins play crucial roles in regulating plant growth, development, signal transduction and abiotic stress responses. However, there exists a scarcity of research on the role of 14-3-3 proteins in responding to abiotic stress in apples. In this study, we isolated the <i>MdGRF22</i> gene from the apple 14-3-3 family. Through the screening of interacting proteins and genetic transformation of <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> and apple callus tissues, the function of the <i>MdGRF22</i> gene under drought stress was verified. The coding sequence (CDS) of <i>MdGRF22</i> consists of 786 bp and encodes for 261 amino acids. Through sequence alignment, the conserved 14-3-3 domain was identified in <i>MdGRF22</i> and its homologous genes, which also share similar gene structures and conserved motifs. Subcellular localization revealed that the MdGRF22 protein was predominantly located in the cytoplasm and cell membrane. The yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) analysis demonstrated a possible interaction between <i>MdGRF22</i> and <i>MdSK</i>. In addition, <i>MdGRF22</i> transgenic plants generally exhibited lower superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD) activities, higher malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and relative electrolyte leakage under drought conditions compared with wild-type (WT) plants. Our study suggests that <i>MdGRF22</i> may reduce the drought resistance of transgenic <i>A. thaliana</i> and callus tissues by interacting with <i>MdSK.</i> This study provides a theoretical basis for further exploring the function of 14-3-3 family genes.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/1968apple<i>MdGRF22</i>Y2Hantioxidant system
spellingShingle Jiaxuan Ren
Hong Wang
Mingxin Zhao
Guoping Liang
Shixiong Lu
Juan Mao
<i>MdGRF22</i>, a 14-3-3 Family Gene in Apple, Negatively Regulates Drought Tolerance via Modulation of Antioxidant Activity and Interaction with <i>MdSK</i>
Plants
apple
<i>MdGRF22</i>
Y2H
antioxidant system
title <i>MdGRF22</i>, a 14-3-3 Family Gene in Apple, Negatively Regulates Drought Tolerance via Modulation of Antioxidant Activity and Interaction with <i>MdSK</i>
title_full <i>MdGRF22</i>, a 14-3-3 Family Gene in Apple, Negatively Regulates Drought Tolerance via Modulation of Antioxidant Activity and Interaction with <i>MdSK</i>
title_fullStr <i>MdGRF22</i>, a 14-3-3 Family Gene in Apple, Negatively Regulates Drought Tolerance via Modulation of Antioxidant Activity and Interaction with <i>MdSK</i>
title_full_unstemmed <i>MdGRF22</i>, a 14-3-3 Family Gene in Apple, Negatively Regulates Drought Tolerance via Modulation of Antioxidant Activity and Interaction with <i>MdSK</i>
title_short <i>MdGRF22</i>, a 14-3-3 Family Gene in Apple, Negatively Regulates Drought Tolerance via Modulation of Antioxidant Activity and Interaction with <i>MdSK</i>
title_sort i mdgrf22 i a 14 3 3 family gene in apple negatively regulates drought tolerance via modulation of antioxidant activity and interaction with i mdsk i
topic apple
<i>MdGRF22</i>
Y2H
antioxidant system
url https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/14/13/1968
work_keys_str_mv AT jiaxuanren imdgrf22ia1433familygeneinapplenegativelyregulatesdroughttoleranceviamodulationofantioxidantactivityandinteractionwithimdski
AT hongwang imdgrf22ia1433familygeneinapplenegativelyregulatesdroughttoleranceviamodulationofantioxidantactivityandinteractionwithimdski
AT mingxinzhao imdgrf22ia1433familygeneinapplenegativelyregulatesdroughttoleranceviamodulationofantioxidantactivityandinteractionwithimdski
AT guopingliang imdgrf22ia1433familygeneinapplenegativelyregulatesdroughttoleranceviamodulationofantioxidantactivityandinteractionwithimdski
AT shixionglu imdgrf22ia1433familygeneinapplenegativelyregulatesdroughttoleranceviamodulationofantioxidantactivityandinteractionwithimdski
AT juanmao imdgrf22ia1433familygeneinapplenegativelyregulatesdroughttoleranceviamodulationofantioxidantactivityandinteractionwithimdski