title: Tomato stress-responsive factor TSRF1 interacts with ethylene responsive element GCC box and regulates pathogen resistance to Ralstonia solanacearum.
abstract: Ethylene responsive factors (ERFs) are important in regulating plant pathogen resistance, abiotic stress tolerance and plant development. Recent studies have greatly enlarged the ERF protein family and revealed more important roles of ERFs in plants. Here, we report our finding of a tomato ERF protein TSRF1, which is transcriptionally up-regulated by ethylene, salicylic acid, or Ralstonia solanacearum strain BJ1057 infection. Biochemical analysis indicates that TSRF1 specifically interacts in vitro with the GCC box, an element present in the promoters of many pathogenesis-related (PR) genes. Further investigation evidences that TSRF1 activates in vivo the expression of reporter beta-glucuronidase gene controlled by GCC box. More importantly, overexpressing TSRF1 in tobacco and tomato constitutively activates the expression of PR genes, and subsequently enhancing transgenic plant resistance to the bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum strain BJ1057. Therefore our investigation not only extends the functions of ERF proteins in plant resistance to R. solanacearum, but also provides further clues to understanding the mechanism of host regulatory proteins in response to the infection of pathogens.
authors.affiliation: The National Plant Gene Research Center (Beijing), Biotechnology Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Hongbo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Dabing
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yuhong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zejun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Dafang
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Xue-Chen
authors.initials: XC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Rongfeng
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D007113:Immunity, Innate; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000382:microbiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011485:Protein Binding; D018749:RNA, Plant / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D043368:Ralstonia solanacearum / Q000254:growth & development*; D020218:Response Elements / Q000235:genetics*; D020156:Salicylic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005030:Ethylenes; D009841:Oligonucleotides; D010940:Plant Proteins; D018749:RNA, Plant; D015534:Trans-Activators; C036216:ethylene; D020156:Salicylic Acid