This technology involves the newly identified pepper SUMO E3 ligase gene CaSIZ1 (SEQ ID NO: 2), a recombinant vector containing it, and a method for enhancing drought stress resistance by transforming and overexpressing this gene in plants. CaSIZ1 acts as a positive regulator of ABA signaling, helping plants better withstand drought conditions.
Drought significantly impairs plant growth, leading to reduced crop yields. While plants respond by closing stomata and accumulating abscisic acid (ABA), the complete ABA signaling pathway remains unclear. Although protein sumoylation is known to be linked to stress responses and the role of Arabidopsis SIZ1 has been partially reported, the specific mechanisms by which SUMO E3 ligases contribute to drought resistance via the ABA pathway, as well as genes applicable to crops, have remained largely unavailable.
This technology utilizes the mechanism by which CaSIZ1 sumoylates and stabilizes the CaDRHB1 protein, a negative regulator of ABA signaling. It confers resistance through two stages: using the gene alone or in a recombinant vector as an active ingredient, and then overexpressing the protein after transformation. Applicable to breeding drought-resistant pepper varieties, developing transgenic crops for arid regions, and water-efficient greenhouse cultivation, it targets the post-translational regulation step of sumoylation to maintain crop survival and productivity in water-scarce environments.
This invention was developed with support from the Rural Development Administration's research on ABA signaling stabilization protein molecules and their physiological mechanisms.
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