Seed germination and seedling establishment in cotton, the most important
crop used globally for fiber and oil, are impaired by abiotic stresses.
PLATZ proteins, which are zinc-finger transcription factors involved in
plant abiotic stress responses, are present in cotton, but studies about
them are limited.

Researchers from Shandong Agricultural University in China investigated the
biological and physiological functions of the cotton gene GhPLATZ by
expressing it in Arabidopsis via Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. They
determined the gene expression of the transgene and proceed to the analysis
of seed germination and cotyledon greening and abscisic acid (ABA) content.
Results showed that with the increased expression of the gene in the
transgenic plant, seed germination was faster, and seed establishment was
higher under salt- and mannitol-stressed conditions. The gene expression is
considered to be mediated by ABA, gibberellin, and ethylene pathways.



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