title: AtRD22 and AtUSPL1, members of the plant-specific BURP domain family involved in Arabidopsis thaliana drought tolerance.
abstract: Crop plants are regularly challenged by a range of environmental stresses which typically retard their growth and ultimately compromise economic yield. The stress response involves the reprogramming of approximately 4% of the transcriptome. Here, the behavior of AtRD22 and AtUSPL1, both members of the Arabidopsis thaliana BURP (BNM2, USP, RD22 and polygalacturonase isozyme) domain-containing gene family, has been characterized. Both genes are up-regulated as part of the abscisic acid (ABA) mediated moisture stress response. While AtRD22 transcript was largely restricted to the leaf, that of AtUSPL1 was more prevalent in the root. As the loss of function of either gene increased the plant's moisture stress tolerance, the implication was that their products act to suppress the drought stress response. In addition to the known involvement of AtUSPL1 in seed development, a further role in stress tolerance was demonstrated. Based on transcriptomic data and phenotype we concluded that the enhanced moisture stress tolerance of the two loss-of-function mutants is a consequence of an enhanced basal defense response.
authors.affiliation: Research Group Abiotic Stress Genomics, Interdisciplinary Center for Crop Plant Research (IZN), Halle (Saale), Germany, and Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Stadt Seeland, OT Gatersleben, Germany.
authors.forename: Vokkaliga Thammegowda
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Harshavardhan
authors.affiliation: Research Group Gene Regulation, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Stadt Seeland, OT Gatersleben, Germany; National Key Laboratory of Gene Technology, Institute of Biotechnology Vietnam, Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam.
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Son
authors.affiliation: Research Group Abiotic Stress Genomics, Interdisciplinary Center for Crop Plant Research (IZN), Halle (Saale), Germany, and Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Stadt Seeland, OT Gatersleben, Germany.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Seiler
authors.affiliation: Research Group Heterosis, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Stadt Seeland, OT Gatersleben, Germany.
authors.forename: Astrid
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Junker
authors.affiliation: Research Group Heterosis, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Stadt Seeland, OT Gatersleben, Germany.
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Weigelt-Fischer
authors.affiliation: Research Group Image Analysis, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Stadt Seeland, OT Gatersleben, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Klukas
authors.affiliation: Research Group Heterosis, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Stadt Seeland, OT Gatersleben, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Altmann
authors.affiliation: Research Group Abiotic Stress Genomics, Interdisciplinary Center for Crop Plant Research (IZN), Halle (Saale), Germany, and Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Stadt Seeland, OT Gatersleben, Germany; Grain Quality and Nutrition Center, International Rice Research Institute (IRRI), Metro Manila, Philippines.
authors.forename: Nese
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sreenivasulu
authors.affiliation: Research Group Gene Regulation, Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Stadt Seeland, OT Gatersleben, Germany.
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bäumlein
authors.affiliation: Research Group Abiotic Stress Genomics, Interdisciplinary Center for Crop Plant Research (IZN), Halle (Saale), Germany, and Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) Gatersleben, Stadt Seeland, OT Gatersleben, Germany.
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuhlmann
mesh_terms: D000220:Adaptation, Biological / Q000235:genetics*; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000502:physiology*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics*; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D055864:Droughts; D017353:Gene Deletion; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D023061:Gene Order; D005810:Multigene Family; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D009997:Osmotic Pressure; D010641:Phenotype; D010674:Pheophytins / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs; D054712:Salinity; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D010674:Pheophytins; C080922:RD22 protein, Arabidopsis; D002734:Chlorophyll