title: Identification of Transcription Factors ZmMYB111 and ZmMYB148 Involved in Phenylpropanoid Metabolism.
abstract: Maize is the leading crop worldwide in terms of both planting area and total yields, but environmental stresses cause significant losses in productivity. Phenylpropanoid compounds play an important role in plant stress resistance; however, the mechanism of their synthesis is not fully understood, especially in regard to the expression and regulation of key genes. Phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) is the first key enzyme involved in phenylpropanoid metabolism, and it has a significant effect on the synthesis of important phenylpropanoid compounds. According to the results of sequence alignments and functional prediction, we selected two conserved R2R3-MYB transcription factors as candidate genes for the regulation of phenylpropanoid metabolism. The two candidate R2R3-MYB genes, which we named ZmMYB111 and ZmMYB148, were cloned, and then their structural characteristics and phylogenetic placement were predicted and analyzed. In addition, a series of evaluations were performed, including expression profiles, subcellular localization, transcription activation, protein-DNA interaction, and transient expression in maize endosperm. Our results indicated that both ZmMYB111 and ZmMYB148 are indeed R2R3-MYB transcription factors and that they may play a regulatory role in PAL gene expression.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Junjie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Shuangshuang
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, Southwest University Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Hai
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Huanhuan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Yangping
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Yufeng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Hanmei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Yinghong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Guowu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: College of Agronomy, Sichuan Agricultural University Chengdu, China.
authors.forename: Yubi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Huang
keywords: MYB; gene expression; maize; phenylpropanoid metabolism; transcription factor