Tartary buckwheat FtMYB30 transcription factor improves the salt/drought tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis in an ABA‐dependent manner

Abstract Drought and high salinity affect plant growth, development, yield, and quality. MYB transcription factors (TFs) in plants play an indispensable regulatory role in resisting adverse stress. In this study, screening and functional validation of the TF FtMYB30, which can respond extensively to abiotic stress and abscisic acid (ABA), was achieved in Tartary buckwheat. FtMYB30, one of the SG22 (sub‐group 22) family of R2R3‐MYB TFs, localized in the nucleus and had transcriptional activation activity. Under drought and salt stress, FtMYB30 overexpression reduced the oxidative damage in transgenic plants by increasing the activity of proline content and antioxidant enzymes and significantly upregulate the expression of RD29A , RD29B , and Cu/ZnSOD , thereby enhancing drought/salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis. Additionally, overexpression of FtMYB30 can reduce the sensitivity of transgenic plants to ABA. Moreover, AtRCAR1/2/3 and AtMPK6 directly interact with the FtMYB30 TF, possibly through the crosstalk between MAPKs (mitogen‐activated protein kinases) and the ABA signaling pathway. Taken together, these results suggest that FtMYB30, as a positive regulator, mediates plant tolerance to salt and drought through an ABA‐dependent signaling pathway.