title: Expression and function of a modified AP2/ERF transcription factor from Brassica napus enhances cold tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis.
abstract: One of the most rapid and effective defensive mechanisms plants have for protecting themselves, from a variety of biotic and abiotic stresses, is the regulation of plant signal transcription factors. AP2/ERF factors play an important role in plant development as well as in hormonal regulation and cold response. Directed evolution is a powerful tool to modify proteins, improving their properties, and for studying their structure-function relations. Here, the transgenic Arabidopsis plants over-expressed a mutant gene, BnaERF-B3-hy15-mu3, which encoded for a factor that exhibited more binding activity with the GCC box element than the wild-type gene BnaERF-B3-hy15 encode factor, and exhibited more freezing tolerance than transgenic plants containing the original BnaERF-B3-hy15 gene. Real-time PCR analyses also revealed that the expression levels of several stress-regulated genes were altered in the over-expressed BnaERF-B3-hy15-mu3 transgenic lines. The BnaERF-B3-hy15 responded to exogenous ABA. Using RT-PCR analysis, the expression of BnaERF-B3-hy15 at different stages and stress treatments were also analyzed.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, College of Horticulture, Nanjing Agricultural University, 1 Weigang, 210095 Nanjing, China. xiongaisheng@njau.edu.cn
authors.forename: Ai-Sheng
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Hai-Hua
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Ri-He
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Peng
authors.forename: Xiao-Fen
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Quan-Hong
authors.initials: QH
authors.lastname: Yao
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D029688:Brassica napus / Q000235:genetics*; D002241:Carbohydrates; D003080:Cold Temperature; D058639:Cold-Shock Response; D019020:Directed Molecular Evolution; D004573:Electrolytes; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D050656:Transcription Factor AP-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D002241:Carbohydrates; D004573:Electrolytes; D010940:Plant Proteins; D050656:Transcription Factor AP-2