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| Expression of the Drought-responsive Transcription Factor StERF89 in Potato (Solanum tuberosum) and Its Regulatory Role of StDIR31 |
| WANG Yan-Hao1,2, WANG Xiao2,3, WANG Kai-Tong2,3, WEI Han2,3, YANG Liang2,3, LYU Shuo1,2, ZHANG Ning1,2, SI Huai-Jun1,2,* |
1 College of Life Science and Technology, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China;
2 State Key Laboratory of Aridland Crop Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China;
3 College of Agronomy, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, China |
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Abstract The AP2/ERF (APETALA2/ethylene responsive factor) transcription factor family, one of the largest transcription factor families in plants, plays a crucial role in regulating plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses. In this study, using the potato (Solanum tuberosum) cultivar 'Atlantic' as material, the S. tuberosum ethylene-responsive factor 89 (StERF89) gene (GenBank No. XM_006365280) was cloned, with a CDS of 891 bp. Bioinformatics analysis revealed that this gene lacked introns, and its promoter region contained cis-acting elements associated with drought stress response. Tissue-specificity analysis showed that StERF89 expression levels were highest in potato tubers, followed by leaves. Under natural drought conditions, StERF89 gene expression exhibited an upward trend as drought stress intensified, suggesting potential involvement in drought stress response. Further analysis revealed that the promoter region of S. tuberosum dirigent protein 31 (StDIR31), a lignin synthesis-related gene, contained 2 DRE/CRT elements, and its expression pattern under drought stress was similar to that of StERF89. Using yeast one-hybrid assays, dual luciferase reporter assays, and β-glucuronidase (GUS) staining experiments, it was further confirmed that StERF89 directly bound to the StDIR31 promoter and positively regulated its expression. This study provides crucial evidence for further investigation into the functional regulation of the StERF89 transcription factor.
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Received: 04 December 2025
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Corresponding Authors:
*hjsi@gsau.edu.cn
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