title: Isolation and molecular characterization of GmERF7, a soybean ethylene-response factor that increases salt stress tolerance in tobacco.
abstract: Ethylene-response factors (ERFs) play an important role in regulating gene expression in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stresses. In this study, a new ERF transcription factor, GmERF7, was isolated from soybean. Sequence analysis showed that GmERF7 contained an AP2/ERF domain with 58 amino acids, two putative nuclear localization signal (NLS) domains, an acidic amino acid-rich transcriptional activation domain and a conserved N-terminal motif [MCGGAI(I/L)]. The expression of GmERF7 was induced by drought, salt, methyl jasmonate (MeJA), ethylene (ETH) and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments. However, the expression of GmERF7 decreased under cold treatment. GmERF7 localized to the nucleus when transiently expressed in onion epidermal cells. Furthermore, GmERF7 protein bound to the GCC-box element in vitro and activated the expression of the β-glucuronidase (GUS) reporter gene in tobacco leaves. Activities of GmERF7 promoter (GmERF7P) upregulated in tobacco leaves with 10h drought, salt and ETH treatments. However, activities of GmERF7P decreased with 10h cold and ABA treatments. Overexpression of GmERF7 in tobacco plants led to higher levels of chlorophyll and soluble carbohydrates and a lower level of malondialdehyde compared with wild-type tobacco plants under salt stress conditions, which indicated that GmERF7 enhanced salt tolerance in transgenic plants.
authors.affiliation: College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yanjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lei
authors.forename: Fan
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Liantai
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Jingwen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qingyu
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D000085:Acetates / Q000494:pharmacology; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D001483:Base Sequence; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D002467:Cell Nucleus; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D003080:Cold Temperature; D003517:Cyclopentanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D055864:Droughts; D005030:Ethylenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005966:Glucuronidase / Q000378:metabolism; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000032:analysis; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019697:Onions / Q000235:genetics; D054883:Oxylipins / Q000494:pharmacology; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D055049:Salt Tolerance / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D055051:Salt-Tolerant Plants / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D013025:Glycine max / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000085:Acetates; D002241:Carbohydrates; D003517:Cyclopentanes; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D005030:Ethylenes; D054883:Oxylipins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D002734:Chlorophyll; C093680:ethylene-responsive element binding protein; D008315:Malondialdehyde; D000040:Abscisic Acid; C072239:methyl jasmonate; C036216:ethylene; D005966:Glucuronidase