title: Ectopic overexpression of SsCBF1, a CRT/DRE-binding factor from the nightshade plant Solanum lycopersicoides, confers freezing and salt tolerance in transgenic Arabidopsis.
abstract: The C-repeat (CRT)/dehydration-responsive element (DRE) binding factor (CBF/DREB1) transcription factors play a key role in cold response. However, the detailed roles of many plant CBFs are far from fully understood. A CBF gene (SsCBF1) was isolated from the cold-hardy plant Solanum lycopersicoides. A subcellular localization study using GFP fusion protein indicated that SsCBF1 is localized in the nucleus. We delimited the SsCBF1 transcriptional activation domain to the C-terminal segment comprising amino acid residues 193-228 (SsCBF1(193-228)). The expression of SsCBF1 could be dramatically induced by cold, drought and high salinity. Transactivation assays in tobacco leaves revealed that SsCBF1 could specifically bind to the CRT cis-elements in vivo to activate the expression of downstream reporter genes. The ectopic overexpression of SsCBF1 conferred increased freezing and high-salinity tolerance and late flowering phenotype to transgenic Arabidopsis. RNA-sequencing data exhibited that a set of cold and salt stress responsive genes were up-regulated in transgenic Arabidopsis. Our results suggest that SsCBF1 behaves as a typical CBF to contribute to plant freezing tolerance. Increased resistance to high-salinity and late flowering phenotype derived from SsCBF1 OE lines lend more credence to the hypothesis that plant CBFs participate in diverse physiological and biochemical processes related to adverse conditions.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Zhenjun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jingfu
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Aoxue
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000235:genetics*; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D055864:Droughts; D035264:Flowers / Q000502:physiology; D005615:Freezing; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017343:Genes, Plant; D018525:Germination / Q000235:genetics; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000502:physiology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D059828:Plant Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D055049:Salt Tolerance / Q000235:genetics; D012639:Seeds / Q000254:growth & development; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D032322:Solanum / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins