ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Plant Abiotic Stress
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1655155
Genome-Wide Identification of EuUSPs in Eucommia ulmoides and the Role of EuUSP16 in Regulating Rubber Biosynthesis
Provisionally accepted
- 1Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Institute of Agro-Bioengineering and College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
- 2Plant Conservation and Breeding Technology Center, Institute of Crop Germplasm Resources, Guizhou Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guiyang 550006, China
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Eucommia ulmoides Oliv., a Tertiary period relict tree species endemic to China, is a rubber-producing plant valued for both medicinal and edible applications. E.ulmoides rubber is a high-quality natural rubber prized for its excellent elasticity, abrasion resistance, and insulation properties, leading to broad industrial applications. Previous research identified the EuUSP16 gene, encoding a protein containing E.ulmoides rubber particle protein peptides. While overexpression of EuUSP16 in tobacco enhanced drought tolerance, its role in E.ulmoides rubber biosynthesis remained undefined. In this study, we identified 29 EuUSP genes at the whole-genome level in E.ulmoides. Following low-temperature and drought treatments, the expression level of the EuUSP16 gene was found to be positively correlated with changes in rubber content (p<0.05), suggesting its potential regulatory role in rubber synthesis. In E.ulmoides subjected to Agrobacterium-mediated EuUSP16 gene overexpression or silencing, the expression levels of key E.ulmoides rubber biosynthesis enzyme genes, such as EuFPS1, exhibited corresponding increases and decreases, respectively. Furthermore, rubber content in EuUSP16-overexpressing callus increased by 254.51% compared to wild-type callus. These findings indicate that EuUSP16 regulates E.ulmoides rubber biosynthesis by modulating the expression of these genes. The 1,967 bp promoter region upstream of the EuUSP16 ATG start codon contains several responsive elements, including MBS (MYB-binding site; CAACTG), LTR (low-temperature responsive element; CCGAAA), ABRE (ABA-responsive element; ACGTG), and a Dof transcription factor binding motif (AAAG). Promoter activity assays showed that EuUSP16 promoter activity was induced by low temperature and drought but repressed by abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. Furthermore, using yeast one-hybrid screening, we identified a Cys2-Cys2 zinc finger domain-containing transcription factor, designated EuDof. Interaction analysis revealed that the EuDof transcription factor enhances the activity of the EuUSP16 promoter. The binding of EuDof to the EuUSP16 promoter was enhanced under low temperature and drought stress but inhibited by ABA. Collectively, this study provides crucial insights into the regulatory mechanism of EuUSP16 in E.ulmoides rubber biosynthesis.
Keywords: Eucommia ulmoides Oliv., EuUSPs gene family, Environmental stress, Rubber biosynthesis, EuDof
Received: 27 Jun 2025; Accepted: 30 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Long, Yang, Wang, Chen, Zhao and Zhao. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
De-gang Zhao, Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Institute of Agro-Bioengineering and College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
Yichen Zhao, Key Laboratory of Plant Resources Conservation and Germplasm Innovation in Mountainous Region, Ministry of Education, Institute of Agro-Bioengineering and College of Life Sciences, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China
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