Genome-Wide Identification and Analysis of bZIP Gene Family and Resistance of TaABI5 (TabZIP96) under Freezing Stress in Wheat (Triticum aestivum)

Abstract

The basic leucine zipper (<i>bZIP</i>) regulates plant growth and responds to stress as a key transcription factor of the Abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathway. In this study, <i>TabZIP</i> genes were identified in wheat and the gene structure, physicochemical properties, cis-acting elements, and gene collinearity were analyzed. RNA-Seq and qRT-PCR analysis showed that ABA and abiotic stress induced most <i>TabZIP</i> genes expression. The ectopic expression of <i>TaABI5</i> up-regulated the expression of several cold-responsive genes in <i>Arabidopsis</i>. Physiological indexes of seedlings of different lines under freezing stress showed that <i>TaABI5</i> enhanced the freezing tolerance of plants. Subcellular localization showed that <i>TaABI5</i> is localized in the nucleus. Furthermore, TaABI5 physically interacted with cold-resistant transcription factor TaICE1 in yeast two-hybrid system. In conclusion, this study identified and analyzed members of the <i>TabZIP</i> gene family in wheat. It proved for the first time that the gene <i>TaABI5</i> affected the cold tolerance of transgenic plants and was convenient for us to understand the cold resistance molecular mechanism of <i>TaABI5</i>. These results will provide a new inspiration for further study on improving plant abiotic stress resistance.