This invention discloses a
gene, PvHsf16, encoding a
plant heat shock transcription factor, and its applications. This
gene originates from
differentially expressed genes upregulated in members of the Hsf
gene family of switchgrass under
cadmium (Cd) stress. By constructing a
yeast expression vector for PvHsf16, PvHsf16 cells exhibited significantly greater
cadmium tolerance, indicating that this gene enhances
yeast cadmium resistance. PvHsf16 is located in the
cell nucleus. Overexpression of the PvHsf16 gene in
Arabidopsis thaliana, compared to the
wild type under CdCl2 treatment, showed enhanced cadmium tolerance in the PvHsf6 overexpressing lines, with significantly increased
chlorophyll content,
root length, and
biomass. The PvHsf16 gene provides a genetic resource for cultivating switchgrass
germplasm suitable for both energy grass and cadmium remediation, and can be applied to the remediation of cadmium-polluted areas, playing an important role in researching
phytoremediation technologies and improving soil heavy
metal pollution.