title: Conservation of AtTZF1, AtTZF2, and AtTZF3 homolog gene regulation by salt stress in evolutionarily distant plant species.
abstract: Arginine-rich tandem zinc-finger proteins (RR-TZF) participate in a wide range of plant developmental processes and adaptive responses to abiotic stress, such as cold, salt, and drought. This study investigates the conservation of the genes AtTZF1-5 at the level of their sequences and expression across plant species. The genomic sequences of the two RR-TZF genes TdTZF1-A and TdTZF1-B were isolated in durum wheat and assigned to chromosomes 3A and 3B, respectively. Sequence comparisons revealed that they encode proteins that are highly homologous to AtTZF1, AtTZF2, and AtTZF3. The expression profiles of these RR-TZF durum wheat and Arabidopsis proteins support a common function in the regulation of seed germination and responses to abiotic stress. In particular, analysis of plants with attenuated and overexpressed AtTZF3 indicate that AtTZF3 is a negative regulator of seed germination under conditions of salt stress. Finally, comparative sequence analyses establish that the RR-TZF genes are encoded by lower plants, including the bryophyte Physcomitrella patens and the alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The regulation of the Physcomitrella AtTZF1-2-3-like genes by salt stress strongly suggests that a subgroup of the RR-TZF proteins has a function that has been conserved throughout evolution.
authors.affiliation: Food and Nutrition Research Centre, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: D'Orso
authors.affiliation: Cereal Research Centre, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics Foggia, Italy ; Department of the Sciences of Agriculture, Food and Environment, University of Foggia Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: De Leonardis
authors.affiliation: Food and Nutrition Research Centre, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salvi
authors.affiliation: Department of Soil, Plant and Food Sciences, "Aldo Moro" University of Bari Bari, Italy.
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gadaleta
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biology and Pathology, National Research Council Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Ida
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ruberti
authors.affiliation: Cereal Research Centre, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics Foggia, Italy ; Genomics Research Centre, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics Fiorenzuola d'Arda, Italy.
authors.forename: Luigi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cattivelli
authors.affiliation: Food and Nutrition Research Centre, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morelli
authors.affiliation: Cereal Research Centre, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics Foggia, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Mastrangelo
keywords: Arabidopsis; CCCH zinc finger proteins; Physcomitrella patens; RR-TZF; abiotic stress; durum wheat; germination; phylogenetic analysis