title: Overexpression of an AP2/ERF Type Transcription Factor OsEREBP1 Confers Biotic and Abiotic Stress Tolerance in Rice.
abstract: AP2/ERF-type transcription factors regulate important functions of plant growth and development as well as responses to environmental stimuli. A rice AP2/ERF transcription factor, OsEREBP1 is a downstream component of a signal transduction pathway in a specific interaction between rice (Oryza sativa) and its bacterial pathogen, Xoo (Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae). Constitutive expression of OsEREBP1 in rice driven by maize ubiquitin promoter did not affect normal plant growth. Microarray analysis revealed that over expression of OsEREBP1 caused increased expression of lipid metabolism related genes such as lipase and chloroplastic lipoxygenase as well as several genes related to jasmonate and abscisic acid biosynthesis. PR genes, transcription regulators and Aldhs (alcohol dehydrogenases) implicated in abiotic stress and submergence tolerance were also upregulated in transgenic plants. Transgenic plants showed increase in endogenous levels of α-linolenate, several jasmonate derivatives and abscisic acid but not salicylic acid. Soluble modified GFP (SmGFP)-tagged OsEREBP1 was localized to plastid nucleoids. Comparative analysis of non-transgenic and OsEREBP1 overexpressing genotypes revealed that OsEREBP1 attenuates disease caused by Xoo and confers drought and submergence tolerance in transgenic rice. Our results suggest that constitutive expression of OsEREBP1 activates the jasmonate and abscisic acid signalling pathways thereby priming the rice plants for enhanced survival under abiotic or biotic stress conditions. OsEREBP1 is thus, a good candidate gene for engineering plants for multiple stress tolerance.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Jisha
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: Lavanya
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dampanaboina
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department Bioorganic Chemistry, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Jyothilakshmi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vadassery
authors.affiliation: Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Department Bioorganic Chemistry, Jena, Germany.
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mithöfer
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: Saivishnupriya
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kappara
authors.affiliation: Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India.
authors.forename: Rajeshwari
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ramanan
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D055864:Droughts; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012275:Oryza / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000382:microbiology; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D010940:Plant Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors