Over-expression of the Arabidopsis DRE/CRT-binding transcription factor DREB2C enhances thermotolerance.
The dehydration responsive element binding protein 2 (DREB2) subgroup belongs to the plant-specific APETALA2/ethylene-responsive element binding factor (AP2/ERF) family of transcription factors. We have characterized cDNA encoding Arabidopsis thaliana DREB2C, which is induced by mild heat stress. Both an electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) and a yeast one-hybrid assay revealed that DREB2C(145-528) was able to form a complex with the dehydration responsive element/C-repeat (DRE/CRT; A/GCCGAC) motif. A trans-activating ability test in yeast demonstrated that DREB2C could effectively function as a trans-activator. Constitutive expression of DREB2C under the control of the cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV) 35S promoter led to enhanced thermotolerance in transgenic lines of Arabidopsis. Microarray and RT-PCR analyses of transgenic plants revealed that DREB2C regulates expression of several heat stress-inducible genes that contain DRE/CRT elements in their promoters. From these data, we deduced that DREB2C is a regulator of heat stress tolerance in Arabidopsis.
Lim
Chan Ju
CJ
Division of Applied Life Science (BK21), Environmental Biotechnology National Core Research Center and PMBBRC, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju 660-701, Republic of Korea.
Hwang
Jung Eun
JE
Chen
Huan
H
Hong
Joon Ki
JK
Yang
Kyung Ae
KA
Choi
Man Soo
MS
Lee
Kyun Oh
KO
Chung
Woo Sik
WS
Lee
Sang Yeol
SY
Lim
Chae Oh
CO
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D006358:Hot Temperature; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011485:Protein Binding; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D020798:Two-Hybrid System Techniques; D015003:Yeasts / Q000235:genetics
D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C114579:DREB2A protein, Arabidopsis; D014157:Transcription Factors