Expression of maize heat shock transcription factor gene ZmHsf06 enhances the thermotolerance and drought-stress tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis

Abstract

Based on the information of 25 heat shock transcription factor (Hsf) homologues in maize according to a genome-wide analysis, ZmHsf06 was cloned from maize leaves and transformed into Arabidopsis thaliana (L. Heynh.) (ecotype, Col-0). Three transgenic positive lines were selected to assess the basic and acquired thermotolerance and drought-stress tolerance under stresses and for some physiological assays. The sequence analysis indicates that ZmHsf06 contained the characteristic domains of class A type plant Hsfs. The results of qRT–PCR showed that the expression levels of ZmHsf06 were elevated by heat shock and drought stress to different extents in three transgenic lines. Phenotypic observation shows that compared with the Wt (wild-type) controls, the overexpressing ZmHsf06 of Arabidopsis plants have enhanced basal and acquired thermotolerance, stronger drought-stress tolerance and growth advantages under mild heat stress conditions. These results are further confirmed by physiological and biochemical evidence that transgenic Arabidopsis plants exhibit higher seed germination rate, longer axial-root length, higher activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT), higher leaf chlorophyll content, but lower relative electrical conductivity (REC), malondialdehyde (MDA) and osmotic potential (OP) than the Wt controls after heat shock and drought treatments. ZmHsf06 may be a central representative of maize Hsfs and could be useful in molecular breeding of maize or other crops for enhanced tolerances, particularly during terminal heat and drought stresses.