Identification of the WOX transcription factor family in Haloxylon ammodendron and functional analyses of the roles of HaWOX29 and HaWOX54 in root growth

doi:10.11686/cyxb2025061

Abstract

Abstract:

The desert plant Haloxylon ammodendron， commonly known as sorghum or saxaul， has a well-developed root system characterized by lateral roots that are capable of parasitizing the traditional Chinese medicine plant Cistanche deserticola. This trait endows H. ammodendron with significant ecological and economic value for desert management and for the social development of desert regions. In plants， WOX transcription factors play a crucial role in the growth and development of roots. In this study， we identified 64 members of the WOX transcription factor family from the H. ammodendron genome. Building upon previous transcriptome analysis results， we screened and cloned the genes HaWOX29 and HaWOX54， which exhibited high transcript levels in the roots. Quantitative PCR analysis indicated that the transcript levels of HaWOX29 and HaWOX54 were obvious higher in roots than in other tissues， and that both of these genes were down-regulated under drought， salt， and high-temperature stresses. Conversely， they were up-regulated under low-temperature conditions and treatments with various hormones， namely indole-3-acetic acid， abscisic acid， and salicylic acid. Through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation， we obtained plants overexpressing HaWOX29 and HaWOX54. Phenotypic and root scanning analyses revealed that the average primary root length of the HaWOX29-overexpressing plants was 2.49-times than that of the control group （transformed with the empty vector）. The primary roots of the HaWOX54-overexpressing plants were 2.08-times longer than those of the control group， and the average root branching number was 4.34-times greater. Thus， we concluded that HaWOX29 may facilitate the elongation of primary roots in H. ammodendron， while HaWOX54 may be implicated in the development of lateral roots and the elongation of primary roots. The results of this study identify WOX transcription factors associated with the growth and development of H. ammodendron roots， offering theoretical and practical guidance for investigating the molecular mechanisms underlying root development and for screening superior germplasm resources of H. ammodendron.

Key words: Haloxylon ammodendron, WOX transcription factors, root development, molecular mechanisms

Lang SUN, Yan-ping REN, Muzepar NAFISA, Neng-shuang SHEN, Li MA, Cong CHENG, Li LI, Hua ZHANG. Identification of the WOX transcription factor family in Haloxylon ammodendron and functional analyses of the roles of HaWOX29 and HaWOX54 in root growth[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2026, 35(1): 192-205.

Figures/Tables 12

References 30

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基因 Gene	正向引物 Forward primer （5′→3′）	反向引物 Reverse primer （5′→3′）	用途 Usage
HaWOX29	ATGATGATGAACAAACGAAGGTTCAC	TCAGGACCAAAAGTCCCACCA	克隆Cloning
HaWOX54	ATGCAAGGTGGTGAAGATAATACAGTG	TTACATTTGATAAAAGTCAGCCCAATCCA	克隆Cloning
Ha18SrRNA	CTCTGCCCGTTGCTCTGATGAT	CCTTGGATGTGGTAGCCGTTTC	qRT-PCR
HaWOX29	AGCTCGTTACAAGTCTAAGCAAC	AGATCCTCGAATCGTTTAGCAAG	qRT-PCR
HaWOX54	CCCAACAAATGCCTCCACAACA	TACTGCCCTCACTCTTGCTCT	qRT-PCR
pCAMBIA3301-HaWOX29	TGACCATGGTAGATCTATGATGATGAACAAACGAAGGTTCACTG	ATTCGAGCTGGTCACCTCAGGACCAAAAGTCCCACCATTG	同源重组Homologous recombination
pCAMBIA3301-HaWOX54	TGACCATGGTAGATCTATGCAAGGTGGTGAAGATAATACAGTGG	ATTCGAGCTGGTCACCTTACATTTGATAAAAGTCAGCCCAATCCATACT	同源重组Homologous recombination
PGBKT7-HaWOX29	CATGGAGGCCGAATTCATGATGATGAACAAACGAAGGTTCACTG	GCAGGTCGACGGATCCTCAGGACCAAAAGTCCCACCATTG	同源重组Homologous recombination
PGBKT7-HaWOX54	CATGGAGGCCGAATTCATGCAAGGTGGTGAAGATAATACAGT	GCAGGTCGACGGATCCTTACATTTGATAAAAGTCAGCCCAATCCATACT	同源重组Homologous recombination

基因 Gene	正向引物 Forward primer （5′→3′）	反向引物 Reverse primer （5′→3′）	用途 Usage
HaWOX29	ATGATGATGAACAAACGAAGGTTCAC	TCAGGACCAAAAGTCCCACCA	克隆Cloning
HaWOX54	ATGCAAGGTGGTGAAGATAATACAGTG	TTACATTTGATAAAAGTCAGCCCAATCCA	克隆Cloning
Ha18SrRNA	CTCTGCCCGTTGCTCTGATGAT	CCTTGGATGTGGTAGCCGTTTC	qRT-PCR
HaWOX29	AGCTCGTTACAAGTCTAAGCAAC	AGATCCTCGAATCGTTTAGCAAG	qRT-PCR
HaWOX54	CCCAACAAATGCCTCCACAACA	TACTGCCCTCACTCTTGCTCT	qRT-PCR
pCAMBIA3301-HaWOX29	TGACCATGGTAGATCTATGATGATGAACAAACGAAGGTTCACTG	ATTCGAGCTGGTCACCTCAGGACCAAAAGTCCCACCATTG	同源重组Homologous recombination
pCAMBIA3301-HaWOX54	TGACCATGGTAGATCTATGCAAGGTGGTGAAGATAATACAGTGG	ATTCGAGCTGGTCACCTTACATTTGATAAAAGTCAGCCCAATCCATACT	同源重组Homologous recombination
PGBKT7-HaWOX29	CATGGAGGCCGAATTCATGATGATGAACAAACGAAGGTTCACTG	GCAGGTCGACGGATCCTCAGGACCAAAAGTCCCACCATTG	同源重组Homologous recombination
PGBKT7-HaWOX54	CATGGAGGCCGAATTCATGCAAGGTGGTGAAGATAATACAGT	GCAGGTCGACGGATCCTTACATTTGATAAAAGTCAGCCCAATCCATACT	同源重组Homologous recombination

基因名称 Gene name	元件名称 Component name	核心序列 Core sequence	元件位置 Component location	参考物种 Reference species	元件功能 Component function
HaWOX29	GATA基序GATA-motif	AAGGATAAGG	451（-）	马铃薯Solanum tuberosum	参与部分光响应元件Part of a light responsive element
	CAT框CAT-box	GCCACT	98（-）	拟南芥A. thaliana	调控分生组织元件Element related to meristem expression
	MYB结合位点MYB binding site	CAACTG	282（+）	拟南芥A. thaliana	参与干旱响应元件Participate in drought response elements
HaWOX54	TGACG基序TGACG-motif	TGACG	466（-）	大麦H. vulgare	参与茉莉酸甲酯响应元件Element involved in the MeJA-responsiveness
	CGTCA基序CGTCA-motif	CGTCA	466（+）	大麦H. vulgare	参与茉莉酸甲酯响应元件Element involved in the MeJA-responsiveness
	ABA反应元件ABA responsive element	ACGTG	613（+）	拟南芥A. thaliana	参与脱落酸反应Involved in the abscisic acid responsiveness

基因名称 Gene name	元件名称 Component name	核心序列 Core sequence	元件位置 Component location	参考物种 Reference species	元件功能 Component function
HaWOX29	GATA基序GATA-motif	AAGGATAAGG	451（-）	马铃薯Solanum tuberosum	参与部分光响应元件Part of a light responsive element
	CAT框CAT-box	GCCACT	98（-）	拟南芥A. thaliana	调控分生组织元件Element related to meristem expression
	MYB结合位点MYB binding site	CAACTG	282（+）	拟南芥A. thaliana	参与干旱响应元件Participate in drought response elements
HaWOX54	TGACG基序TGACG-motif	TGACG	466（-）	大麦H. vulgare	参与茉莉酸甲酯响应元件Element involved in the MeJA-responsiveness
	CGTCA基序CGTCA-motif	CGTCA	466（+）	大麦H. vulgare	参与茉莉酸甲酯响应元件Element involved in the MeJA-responsiveness
	ABA反应元件ABA responsive element	ACGTG	613（+）	拟南芥A. thaliana	参与脱落酸反应Involved in the abscisic acid responsiveness