Abiotic and biotic stress tolerance in Arabidopsis overexpressing the multiprotein bridging factor 1a (MBF1a) transcriptional coactivator gene.
We conducted a genetic yeast screen to identify salt tolerance (SAT) genes in a maize kernel cDNA library. During the screening, we identified a maize clone (SAT41) that seemed to confer elevated salt tolerance in comparison to control cells. SAT41 cDNA encodes a 16-kDa protein which is 82.4% identical to the Arabidopsis Multiprotein bridging factor 1a (MBF1a) transcriptional coactivator gene. To further examine salinity tolerance in Arabidopsis, we functionally characterized the MBF1a gene and found that dehydration as well as heightened glucose (Glc) induced MBF1a expression. Constitutive expression of MBF1a in Arabidopsis led to elevated salt tolerance in transgenic lines. Interestingly, plants overexpressing MBF1a exhibited insensitivity to Glc and resistance to fungal disease. Our results suggest that MBF1a is involved in stress tolerance as well as in ethylene and Glc signaling in Arabidopsis.
Kim
Min-Jung
MJ
Department of Plant Biotechnology and Agricultural Plant Stress Research Center, Chonnam National University, Kwangju 500-757, Republic of Korea.
Lim
Gah-Hyun
GH
Kim
Eun-Seon
ES
Ko
Chang-Beom
CB
Yang
Kwang-Yeol
KY
Jeong
Jin-An
JA
Lee
Myung-Chul
MC
Kim
Cheol Soo
CS
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000382:microbiology; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000378:metabolism; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D015222:Sodium Channels / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D003313:Zea mays / Q000235:genetics
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D005030:Ethylenes; C491466:MBF1 protein, Arabidopsis; D015222:Sodium Channels; D015534:Trans-Activators; C036216:ethylene; D005947:Glucose