title: Soybean NAC transcription factors promote abiotic stress tolerance and lateral root formation in transgenic plants.
abstract: NAC transcription factors play important roles in plant growth, development and stress responses. Previously, we identified multiple NAC genes in soybean (Glycine max). Here, we identify the roles of two genes, GmNAC11 and GmNAC20, in stress responses and other processes. The two genes were differentially induced by multiple abiotic stresses and plant hormones, and their transcripts were abundant in roots and cotyledons. Both genes encoded proteins that localized to the nucleus and bound to the core DNA sequence CGT[G/A]. In the protoplast assay system, GmNAC11 acts as a transcriptional activator, whereas GmNAC20 functions as a mild repressor; however, the C-terminal end of GmANC20 has transcriptional activation activity. Over-expression of GmNAC20 enhances salt and freezing tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis plants; however, GmNAC11 over-expression only improves salt tolerance. Over-expression of GmNAC20 also promotes lateral root formation. GmNAC20 may regulate stress tolerance through activation of the DREB/CBF-COR pathway, and may control lateral root development by altering auxin signaling-related genes. GmNAC11 probably regulates DREB1A and other stress-related genes. The roles of the two GmNAC genes in stress tolerance were further analyzed in soybean transgenic hairy roots. These results provide a basis for genetic manipulation to improve the agronomic traits of important crops.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
authors.forename: Yu-Jun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Hao
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Qing-Xin
authors.initials: QX
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Hao-Wei
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yu-Qin
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Hong-Feng
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.forename: Gang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Ai-Guo
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Wan-Ke
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Biao
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Jin-Song
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Shou-Yi
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D018548:Cotyledon / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055864:Droughts; D035264:Flowers / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D005615:Freezing; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D059372:Nucleotide Motifs / Q000235:genetics; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011523:Protoplasts; D055049:Salt Tolerance; D036226:Seedlings / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D030262:Soybean Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013025:Glycine max / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D007210:Indoleacetic Acids; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D010940:Plant Proteins; D030262:Soybean Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D012965:Sodium Chloride