title: The Nitrate-Inducible NAC Transcription Factor TaNAC2-5A Controls Nitrate Response and Increases Wheat Yield.
abstract: Nitrate is a major nitrogen resource for cereal crops; thus, understanding nitrate signaling in cereal crops is valuable for engineering crops with improved nitrogen use efficiency. Although several regulators have been identified in nitrate sensing and signaling in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), the equivalent information in cereals is missing. Here, we isolated a nitrate-inducible and cereal-specific NAM, ATAF, and CUC (NAC) transcription factor, TaNAC2-5A, from wheat (Triticum aestivum). A chromatin immunoprecipitation assay showed that TaNAC2-5A could directly bind to the promoter regions of the genes encoding nitrate transporter and glutamine synthetase. Overexpression of TaNAC2-5A in wheat enhanced root growth and nitrate influx rate and, hence, increased the root's ability to acquire nitrogen. Furthermore, we found that TaNAC2-5A-overexpressing transgenic wheat lines had higher grain yield and higher nitrogen accumulation in aerial parts and allocated more nitrogen in grains in a field experiment. These results suggest that TaNAC2-5A is involved in nitrate signaling and show that it is an exciting gene resource for breeding crops with more efficient use of fertilizer.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China (X.H., B.Q., W.L., X.Z., W.T., W.M., B.L., Z.L., Y.T.); andCollege of Agronomy/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China (Y.R.).
authors.forename: Xue
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4297-9125
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China (X.H., B.Q., W.L., X.Z., W.T., W.M., B.L., Z.L., Y.T.); andCollege of Agronomy/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China (Y.R.).
authors.forename: Baoyuan
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9101-4461
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China (X.H., B.Q., W.L., X.Z., W.T., W.M., B.L., Z.L., Y.T.); andCollege of Agronomy/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China (Y.R.).
authors.forename: Wenjing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China (X.H., B.Q., W.L., X.Z., W.T., W.M., B.L., Z.L., Y.T.); andCollege of Agronomy/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China (Y.R.).
authors.forename: Xueqiang
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4956-6932
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China (X.H., B.Q., W.L., X.Z., W.T., W.M., B.L., Z.L., Y.T.); andCollege of Agronomy/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China (Y.R.).
authors.forename: Wan
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6874-7854
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Teng
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China (X.H., B.Q., W.L., X.Z., W.T., W.M., B.L., Z.L., Y.T.); andCollege of Agronomy/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China (Y.R.).
authors.forename: Wenying
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1283-6214
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China (X.H., B.Q., W.L., X.Z., W.T., W.M., B.L., Z.L., Y.T.); andCollege of Agronomy/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China (Y.R.).
authors.forename: Yongzhe
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7372-7775
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China (X.H., B.Q., W.L., X.Z., W.T., W.M., B.L., Z.L., Y.T.); andCollege of Agronomy/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China (Y.R.).
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China (X.H., B.Q., W.L., X.Z., W.T., W.M., B.L., Z.L., Y.T.); andCollege of Agronomy/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China (Y.R.).
authors.forename: Zhensheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory for Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China (X.H., B.Q., W.L., X.Z., W.T., W.M., B.L., Z.L., Y.T.); andCollege of Agronomy/State Key Laboratory of Wheat and Maize Crop Science/Collaborative Innovation Center of Henan Grain Crops, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China (Y.R.) yptong@genetics.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Yiping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tong
mesh_terms: D027321:Anion Transport Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D018556:Crops, Agricultural; D005308:Fertilizers; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000091285:Nitrate Transporters; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D018520:Plant Shoots / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D012639:Seeds / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014908:Triticum / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D027321:Anion Transport Proteins; D005308:Fertilizers; D000091285:Nitrate Transporters; D009566:Nitrates; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase; D009584:Nitrogen