The SsWRKY1 transcription factor of Saccharum spontaneum enhances drought tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana and interacts with 21 potential proteins to regulate drought tolerance in S. spontaneum.

In this study, we characterized a WRKY family member gene, SsWRKY1, which is located in the nucleus and contains multiple stress-related cis-acting elements. In addition, constructed SsWRKY1-overexpressing Arabidopsis thaliana had higher antioxidant enzyme activity and proline content under drought stress conditions, with lower malondialdehyde content and reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, and the expression levels of six stress-related genes were significantly upregulated. This indicates that the overexpression of SsWRKY1 in Arabidopsis thaliana improves resistance to drought stress.