Analysis of FsTyDC1 Gene from Forsythia suspensa in Response to Drought and Salt Stress Treatment

Background: Forsythia suspensa (Thunb.) Vahl is a perennial deciduous shrub of the Oleaceae family. Its dried mature fruits are used as medicine and hold an important position in traditional Chinese medicine. Tyrosine decarboxylase (TyDC) is a key enzyme involved in the synthesis of dopamine in Forsythia suspensa. At the same time, it also affects the growth and development of this species under biotic stress. Methods: This study examined the expression and function of FsTyDC1 under drought and salt stress. The TyDC gene identified in F. suspensa, termed FsTyDC1, has an open reading frame (ORF) of 1518 bp. Results: qRT-PCR and subcellular localization analyses indicated that FsTyDC1 is highly expressed in F. suspensa fruit and its protein is located in the cytoplasm. The gene was silenced using a pTRV2-FsPDS/FsTyDC1 vector with virus-induced gene silencing. Following exposure to drought and salt stress, the leaves of FsTyDC1-silenced plants exhibited increased curling and wilting. Conclusions: The results indicate that FsTyDC1 responds to both salt and drought stress, which provides a foundation for further investigation into the function of FsTyDC1.