This technology involves the CaAPIK1 protein (SEQ ID NO: 1), a newly identified MAP3 kinase that interacts with CaAIPP1 in chili peppers, the gene encoding it, and a recombinant vector containing said gene. It provides a composition for enhancing drought stress resistance in plants, as well as a method for increasing resistance by overexpressing this gene in plants and the resulting transgenic plants.
Drought hinders normal plant growth, leading to reduced yields. As desertification progresses, the need for crops that can withstand water scarcity is growing. However, the complete signaling pathway—from ABA recognition by PYR/PYL/RCAR receptors to the phosphorylation proteins that trigger stomatal closure and stress gene expression—remains unclear, limiting the availability of regulatory genes for improving drought tolerance.
This technology identifies that CaAPIK1 pairs with CaAIPP1 to act as a positive regulator of ABA-mediated stomatal closure. By transforming plants with the chili-derived gene (SEQ ID NO: 2) to overexpress the protein, transpiration loss is suppressed under water-deficit conditions. The resulting transgenic plants are also covered by the scope of this technology. Applicable to breeding drought-tolerant chili varieties for greenhouses and open fields, developing water-saving crops, and creating seeds for export to arid regions, it provides a new genetic target—the CaAIPP1-linked phosphorylation pathway—expanding options for multi-trait breeding in combination with other drought-resistance genes.
This invention was developed with support from the Rural Development Administration's project to develop breeding materials for disease and disaster resistance through the functional characterization of stress-related genes in chili peppers.
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