A Brachypodium distachyon calcineurin B-like protein-interacting protein kinase, BdCIPK26, enhances plant adaption to drought and high salinity stress

As sessile organisms, plants possess a complex system to cope with environmental changes. Ca2+ functions as a vital second messenger in the stress signaling of plants, and the CBL-interacting protein kinases (CIPKs) serve as essential elements in the plant Ca2+ signaling pathway. In this study, calcineurin B-like protein-interacting protein kinase 26 (BdCIPK26) from Brachypodium distachyon was characterized. Overexpression of BdCIPK26 enhanced tolerance to drought and salt stress of transgenic plants. Further investigations revealed that BdCIPK26 participated in abscisic acid (ABA) signaling, conferred hypersensitivity to exogenous ABA in transgenic plants, and promoted endogenous ABA biosynthesis. Moreover, BdCIPK26 was found to maintain ROS homeostasis in plants under stress conditions. Therefore, this study indicates that BdCIPK26 functions as a positive regulator in drought and salt stress response.

Automated summary

This study characterized BdCIPK26 from Brachypodium distachyon and found that it functions as a positive regulator in drought and salt stress response in plants. BdCIPK26 was also involved in ABA signaling and maintained ROS homeostasis.