Expression of Foxtail Millet Transcription Factor Enhances Drought Tolerance in .

Foxtail millet is a drought-tolerant cereal and forage crop. The basic leucine zipper () gene family plays important roles in regulating plant development and responding to stresses. However, the roles of genes in foxtail millet remain largely uninvestigated. In this study, 92 members of the transcription factors were identified in foxtail millet and clustered into ten clades. The expression levels of four genes (, , , and ) were significantly induced after PEG treatment, and was chosen for further analysis. The studies showed that ectopic overexpression of in enhanced the plant drought tolerance. Detached leaves of overexpressing plants had lower leaf water loss rates than those of wild-type plants. overexpressing plants improved survival rates under drought conditions compared to wild-type plants. Additionally, overexpressing in plants displayed reduced malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and enhanced activities of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and peroxidase (POD) under drought stress. Furthermore, the drought-related genes, such as , , , , , and , were found to be regulated in transgenic plants than in wild-type under drought conditions. These data suggested that conferred drought tolerance in transgenic by regulating antioxidant enzyme activities and the expression of stress-related genes. The study reveals that plays a beneficial role in drought response in plants, offering a valuable genetic resource for agricultural improvement in arid environments.