AUTHOR=Li Qian , Jiang Wenbo , Jiang Zhihu , Du Wenxuan , Song Jiaxing , Qiang Zhiquan , Zhang Bo , Pang Yongzhen , Wang Yuxiang 

TITLE=Transcriptome and functional analyses reveal ERF053 from Medicago falcata as key regulator in drought resistances

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=13

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2022.995754

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2022.995754

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Medicago falcata</italic> L. is an important legume forage grass with strong drought resistant, which could be utilized as an important gene pool in molecular breed of forage grass. In this study, <italic>M. falcata</italic> seedlings were treated with 400 mM mannitol to simulate drought stress, and the morphological and physiological changes were investigated, as well as the transcriptome changes of <italic>M. falcata</italic> seedlings at different treatment time points (0 h, 2 h, 6 h, 12 h, 24 h, 36 h and 48 h). Transcriptome analyses revealed four modules were closely related with drought response in <italic>M. falcata</italic> by WGCNA analysis, and four <italic>ERF</italic> transcription factor genes related with drought stress were identified (<italic>MfERF053</italic>, <italic>MfERF9</italic>, <italic>MfERF034</italic> and <italic>MfRAP2.1</italic>). Among them, <italic>MfERF053</italic> was highly expressed in roots, and MfERF053 protein showed transcriptional activation activity by transient expression in tobacco leaves. Overexpression of <italic>MfERF053</italic> in <italic>Arabidopsis</italic> improved root growth, number of lateral roots and fresh weight under drought, salt stress and exogenous ABA treatments. Transgenic <italic>Arabidopsis</italic> over-expressing <italic>MfERF053</italic> gene grew significantly better than the wild type under both drought stress and salt stress when grown in soil. Taken together, our strategy with transcriptome combined WGCNA analyses identified key transcription factor genes from <italic>M. falcata</italic>, and the selected <italic>MfERF053</italic> gene was verified to be able to enhance drought and salt resistance when over-expressed in <italic>Arabidopsis</italic>.</p>