Soybean GmPHD-type transcription regulators improve stress tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis plants.
BACKGROUND
Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is one of the most important crops for oil and protein resource. Improvement of stress tolerance will be beneficial for soybean seed production.


RESULTS
Six GmPHD genes encoding Alfin1-type PHD finger protein were identified and their expressions differentially responded to drought, salt, cold and ABA treatments. The six GmPHDs were nuclear proteins and showed ability to bind the cis-element "GTGGAG". The N-terminal domain of GmPHD played a major role in DNA binding. Using a protoplast assay system, we find that GmPHD1 to GmPHD5 had transcriptional suppression activity whereas GmPHD6 did not have. In yeast assay, the GmPHD6 can form homodimer and heterodimer with the other GmPHDs except GmPHD2. The N-terminal plus the variable regions but not the PHD-finger is required for the dimerization. Transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing the GmPHD2 showed salt tolerance when compared with the wild type plants. This tolerance was likely achieved by diminishing the oxidative stress through regulation of downstream genes.


CONCLUSIONS
These results provide important clues for soybean stress tolerance through manipulation of PHD-type transcription regulator.
Plant Gene Research Center, National Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
Wei
W
Wei
Jian
J
Huang
Yu-Jun
YJ
Hao
Hong-Feng
HF
Zou
Hui-Wen
HW
Wang
Jing-Yun
JY
Zhao
Xue-Yi
XY
Liu
Wan-Ke
WK
Zhang
Biao
B
Ma
Jin-Song
JS
Zhang
Shou-Yi
SY
Chen
D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D019281:Dimerization; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011485:Protein Binding; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D011523:Protoplasts / Q000378:metabolism; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D030262:Soybean Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D013025:Glycine max / Q000235:genetics*; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D030262:Soybean Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors