TdSHN1, a WIN1/SHN1-type transcription factor, imparts multiple abiotic stress tolerance in transgenic tobacco

• TdSHN1, a WIN1/SHN1transcription factor enhances salinity and drought tolerance in transgenic tobacco.
• TdSHN1 plant leaves had less stomatal density and water loss rate than wild type plants.
• TdSHN1 plants accumulated less ROS and displayed higher levels of CAT and SOD activity than wild type plants.
• TdSHN1 plants displayed increased expression of oxidative and osmotic stress related genes.
• TdSHN1 plants showed increased expression of the wax biosynthesis gene NtCER1.

The APETAL/Ethylene Responsive factor (AP2/ERF) is a large family of transcription factors (TFs) involved in the control of developmental programs and responses to environmental stimuli. The plasticity and specificity of its individual members make them valuable tools for both genetic engineering and breeding purposes. Here, we report the functional analysis of an AP2/ERF member, TdSHN1, from durum wheat. The ectopic expression of TdSHN1 under the control of the duplicated 35S promoter in transgenic tobacco plants leads to increased tolerance to salt, cold and water stresses compared to wild-type (WT) plants as demonstrated by physiological parameters such as lipoperoxidation, electrolyte leakage (EL), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activity. The overexpression of TdSHN1 enhanced the expression of genes encoding oxidative stress-related proteins, osmotic stress proteins, lipid transfer proteins (LTPs), defense proteins and the wax biosynthesis gene NtCER1. Interestingly, the overexpression of TdSHN1 also leads to a significant reduction in stomatal density. Taken together, our results suggest that TdSHN1 TF may confer multiple abiotic stress tolerance not only through up-regulating of genes involved in response to oxidative and osmotic stress, but also by reducing stomatal density. Therefore, TdSHN1 may be a good candidate for engineering stress-tolerant plants.