AUTHOR=Zhang Han , Zeng Gaoxiong , Xie Jiajia , Zhang Yichi , Ji Dehua , Xu Yan , Xie Chaotian , Wang Wenlei 

TITLE=PhbZIP2 regulates photosynthesis-related genes in an intertidal macroalgae, Pyropia haitanensis, under stress

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-biosciences/articles/10.3389/fmolb.2024.1345585

DOI=10.3389/fmolb.2024.1345585

ISSN=2296-889X

ABSTRACT=<p>Intertidal macroalgae are important research subjects in stress biology. Basic region-leucine zipper transcription factors (bZIPs) play an important regulatory role in the expression of target genes under abiotic stress. We herein identified a bZIP2 gene <italic>PhbZIP2</italic> to regulate abiotic stress tolerance in <italic>Pyropia haitanensis</italic>, a representative intertidal macroalgal species. Cloning and sequencing of the cDNA characterized a BRLZ structure and an α coiled-coil structure between amino acids and Expression of <italic>PhbZIP2</italic> was detected to upregulate under both high temperature and salt stresses. A DAP-seq analysis revealed the <italic>PhbZIP2</italic>-binding motifs of (T/C)TCCA(C/G) and A (A/G)AAA (G/A), which differed from the conserved motifs in plants. Overexpression of <italic>PhbZIP2</italic> was indicative of a high temperature and salt stress tolerances in transgenic <italic>Chlamydomonas reinhardtii</italic>. It was suggested that <italic>PhbZIP2</italic> was probably involved in regulating expression of the photosynthetic-related genes and the response to the abiotic stresses in <italic>P. haitanensis</italic>, which provide new insights for elucidating efficient adaptation strategies of intertidal macroalgae.</p>