Improved Salt Tolerance in L. Overexpressing a Synthetic Stress-Resistant Module DICW.

Salt stress adversely impacts plant physiology by causing ionic, osmotic, and oxidative stress, ultimately hindering growth and yield. The genus contains unique stress resistance genes, and previous studies have shown that proteins such as IrrE, Csp, and WHy enhance stress tolerance in plants and microbial cells. However, their role in L. (oilseed rape) remains unexamined. In this study, a synthetic stress-resistance module, DICW, was constructed using the -derived genes , , and and heterologously overexpressed in to assess its impact on salt tolerance. The results demonstrated that the DICW module significantly improved seed germination and seedling growth under salt stress. Transgenic plants exhibited reduced membrane damage, higher leaf relative water content, enhanced accumulation of osmoregulatory substances, and elevated antioxidant enzyme activity compared to wild-type plants. Additionally, qRT-PCR analysis revealed the upregulation of stress-related genes (, , , , , and ) and antioxidant enzyme-related genes (, , and ) in transgenic lines. In conclusion, the DICW module plays a crucial role in enhancing salt tolerance in . by regulating stress responses and antioxidant mechanisms. This study provides valuable molecular insights into improving the survival and growth of in saline environments.