Myrothamnus flabellifolia is the only woody resurrection plant found in the world. It has a strong tolerance to drought and can survive long-term exposure to desiccated environments. However, few genes related to its drought tolerance have been functionally characterized and the molecular mechanisms underlying the stress tolerance of M. flabellifolia are largely unknown. In this study, we isolated a dehydration-inducible bHLH transcription factor gene MfbHLH145 from M. flabellifolia. Heterologous expression of MfbHLH145 enhanced the drought and salt tolerance of Arabidopsis. It can not only promote root system development under short-term stresses, but also improve growth performance under long-term treatments. Further investigation showed that MfbHLH145 contributes to enhanced leaf water retention capacity through the promotion of stomatal closure, increased osmolyte accumulation, and decreased stress-induced oxidative damage through an increase in antioxidant enzyme activities. These results suggest that MfbHLH145 may be involved in the positive regulation of stress responses in M. flabellifolia. This study provides insight into the molecular mechanism underlying the survival of M. flabellifolia in extreme dehydration conditions.
Keywords: Arabidopsis; Myrothamnus flabellifolia; basic helix–loop–helix (bHLH); drought tolerance; resurrection plant.