BrDHC1, a Novel Putative DEAD-Box Helicase Gene, Confers Drought Tolerance in Transgenic Brassica rapa

Drought can seriously hinder the growth of plants, resulting in reduced crop yield and quality. At present, the tolerance of DEAD-box helicases (DHC) to abiotic stresses, such as drought, high salinity, low temperature, and high temperature, has been confirmed in a variety of plants; therefore, using DEAD-box helicases to develop stress-resistant plants has great application prospects. In this study, Brassica rapa was used as a model to explore the response of the BrDHC1 gene to drought stress by creating RNA interference and overexpressing lines in B. rapa. The mechanism of BrDHC1 involved in drought resistance was revealed by the analysis of morphological characteristics, physiological indicators, and expression analysis of related stress response genes. The results showed that the overexpression of the BrDHC1 gene was more conducive to enhancing the resilience of plants under drought stress in B. rapa. Taken together, these results confirmed BrDHC1 as a newly identified DEAD-box helicase gene that could actively regulate plant growth and development under drought stress in B. rapa.