Functional Analysis of the Wheat TaWRKY13 Transcription Factor in ABA-mediated Leaf Senescence

doi:10.19586/j.2095-2341.2025.0085

Current Biotechnology ›› 2025, Vol. 15 ›› Issue (6): 1020-1030.DOI: 10.19586/j.2095-2341.2025.0085

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Functional Analysis of the Wheat TaWRKY13 Transcription Factor in ABA-mediated Leaf Senescence

Hualiang QIAO¹^,²(), Jiao WANG¹, Bo JIAO¹, Hong LIU², Junming LI², Geng WANG², Chunjiang ZHOU², Shuo ZHOU¹()

^1.Key Laboratory of Plant Gene Engineering of Hebei Province，Institute of Biotechnology and Food Science，Hebei Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences，Shijiazhuang 050051，China
^2.College of Life Sciences，Hebei Normal University，Shijiazhuang 050024，China

Received:2025-07-28 Accepted:2025-10-22 Online:2025-11-25 Published:2026-01-04
Contact: Shuo ZHOU

Abstract

Abstract:

Transcription factor TaWRKY13 of wheat is a key gene regulating leaf senescence， and analyzing its mechanism of action can affect crop yield and quality. Using agrobacterium-mediated transformation， we obtained wheat overexpressing TaWRKY13 and observed that TaWRKY13 promotes leaf senescence. Exogenous abscisic acid （ABA） treatment revealed that TaWRKY13 responds to ABA and accelerates the senescence process in TaWRKY13-overexpressing plants. Real-time quantitative PCR， ChIP-PCR， and electrophoretic mobility shift assay （EMSA） results demonstrated that TaWRKY13 influences ABA dynamics by directly binding to TaNCED5， thereby altering the leaf senescence process. In summary， TaWRKY13 directly binds to TaNCED5 to regulate ABA synthesis， affecting ABA content and thus influencing the process of leaf senescence. The results can provide a theoretical basis for elucidating the aging mechanism of leaves in wheat.

Key words: leaf senescence, WRKY transcription factor, abscisic acid

摘要：

小麦TaWRKY13转录因子是调控叶片衰老的重要基因，对其作用机制进行解析可影响农作物的产量和品质。利用农杆菌转化法获得了TaWRKY13的过表达小麦，并观察到TaWRKY13能够促进叶片衰老。通过外源脱落酸（abscisic acid，ABA）处理，发现TaWRKY13过表达株系能够响应ABA的处理，并可加速TaWRKY13过表达衰老进程。通过实时定量PCR、ChIP-PCR和凝胶迁移（electrophoretic mobility shift assay，EMSA）实验证明TaWRKY13能够通过直接结合TaNCED5影响ABA的变化，进而改变叶片衰老进程。综上，TaWRKY13直接结合TaNCED5调控ABA的合成，影响ABA的含量，进而影响叶片衰老的进程。结果可为阐明小麦中叶片的衰老机制提供理论依据。

关键词: 叶片衰老, WRKY转录因子, 脱落酸

CLC Number:

Hualiang QIAO, Jiao WANG, Bo JIAO, Hong LIU, Junming LI, Geng WANG, Chunjiang ZHOU, Shuo ZHOU. Functional Analysis of the Wheat TaWRKY13 Transcription Factor in ABA-mediated Leaf Senescence[J]. Current Biotechnology, 2025, 15(6): 1020-1030.

乔华亮, 王娇, 焦博, 柳洪, 李俊明, 王耕, 周春江, 周硕. 小麦TaWRKY13转录因子参与ABA介导叶片衰老的功能研究[J]. 生物技术进展, 2025, 15(6): 1020-1030.

Figures/Tables 8

Table 1 The carrier involved in this article

用途	载体	细菌内抗生素	植物内抗生菌
原核表达载体	pMal-C2X	氨苄（ampicillin, Amp）	利福平（rifampicin, Rfp）
过表达植物载体	pTCK303	卡那（kanamycin, Kan）	潮霉素（hygromycin, Hyg）

Fig. 1 TaWRKY13 overexpression vector and expression validation in tobacco

Fig. 2 Observation of phenotype of TaWRKY13 overexpression in wheat

Fig. 3 Phenotype of wheat leaves overexpressing TaWRKY13 under dark treatment

Fig. 4 Grain traits of TaWRKY13 overexpression wheat

Fig. 5 Phenotype of TaWRKY13 overexpression in wheat leaves under ABA treatment

Fig. 6 Detection of ABA synthesis and signaling pathway-related genes in wheat overexpressing TaWRKY13

Fig. 7 The interaction between TaWRKY13 and promoter of TaNCED5

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Functional Analysis of the Wheat TaWRKY13 Transcription Factor in ABA-mediated Leaf Senescence

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