title: NERF encodes a RING E3 ligase important for drought resistance and enhances the expression of its antisense gene NFYA5 in Arabidopsis.
abstract: NFYA5 is an important drought-stress inducible transcription factor gene that is targeted by miR169 in Arabidopsis. We show here that the cis-natural antisense transcript gene of NFYA5, NFYA5 Enhancing RING FINGER (NERF), can produce siRNAs from their overlapping region (OR) and affect NFYA5 transcripts by functioning together with miR169. The NERF protein functions as an E3 ligase for ubiquitination. Overexpression of NERF or OR cDNA leads to siRNANERF accumulation, miR169 repression, and NFYA5 transcript enhancement; knock-down of NERF transcripts by an artificial miRNA enhances miR169 abundance and reduces NFYA5 transcripts. Overexpression of NFYA5 does not affect the NERF mRNA level. Deep sequencing of the small RNA library from 35S::OR plants identifies 960 sequences representing 323 unique siRNAs that originate from OR; the sequences of some siRNANERF are similar/complementary to those of miR169. Overexpression of the 195- to 280-bp OR cDNA-containing siRNAs similar/complementary to miR169 also leads to the accumulation of NFYA5 transcripts. Analysis of NERF knock-down plants and NERF overexpression lines showed that, like NFYA5, NERF is important for controlling stomatal aperture and drought resistance. This regulatory model might apply to other natural antisense transcripts with positively correlated expression patterns.
authors.affiliation: National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Wenwen
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China.
authors.forename: Meng
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Science, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China liwenxue@caas.cn.
authors.forename: Wen-Xue
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D023081:CCAAT-Binding Factor / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D055864:Droughts; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000378:metabolism; D016372:RNA, Antisense / Q000378:metabolism*; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D054875:Ubiquitination
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D023081:CCAAT-Binding Factor; C000591832:MIRN169 microRNA, Arabidopsis; D035683:MicroRNAs; C000596116:NFYA5 protein, Arabidopsis; D016372:RNA, Antisense; D034741:RNA, Small Interfering; D014157:Transcription Factors; C000596115:NERF protein, Arabidopsis; D044767:Ubiquitin-Protein Ligases