title: Overexpression of a cotton gene that encodes a putative transcription factor of AP2/EREBP family in Arabidopsis affects growth and development of transgenic plants.
abstract: In the study, a gene encoding a putative ethylene response factor of AP2/EREBP family was isolated from cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) and designated as GhERF12. Sequence alignment showed that GhERF12 protein contains a central AP2/ERF domain (58 amino acids) with two functional conserved amino acid residues (ala14 and asp19). Transactivation assay indicated that GhERF12 displayed strong transcription activation activity in yeast cells, suggesting that this protein may be a transcriptional activator in cotton. Quantitative RT-PCR analysis showed that GhERF12 expression in cotton was induced by ACC and IAA. Overexpression of GhERF12 in Arabidopsis affected seedling growth and development. The GhERF12 transgenic plants grew slowly, and displayed a dwarf phenotype. The mean bolting time of the transgenic plants was delayed for about 10 days, compared with that of wild type. Further study revealed that some ethylene-related and auxin-related genes were dramatically up-regulated in the transgenic plants, compared with those of wild type. Collectively, we speculated that GhERF12, as a transcription factor, may be involved in regulation of plant growth and development by activating the constitutive ethylene response likely related to auxin biosynthesis and/or signaling.
authors.affiliation: Hubei Key Laboratory of Genetic Regulation and Integrative Biology, College of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, China.
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Xiao-Jie
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Yun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Xue-Bao
authors.initials: XB
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D017124:Conserved Sequence / Q000235:genetics; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000235:genetics*; D003368:Gossypium / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D013997:Time Factors; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015003:Yeasts
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C093680:ethylene-responsive element binding protein