title: A stress-associated NAC transcription factor (SlNAC35) from tomato plays a positive role in biotic and abiotic stresses.
abstract: The NAC transcription factor family participates in responses to various kinds of environmental stimuli in plants. Responses of NAC genes to abiotic stresses have been widely studied, but their functions in response to biotic stress are little reported in plants, especially in crops. In the present study, we examined the functions of a novel tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) NAC protein (SlNAC35) in abiotic and biotic stress resistance by using transgenic tobacco. Expression analysis found that SlNAC35 expression was induced by drought stress, salt stress, bacterial pathogen, and signaling molecules, suggesting its involvement in plant responses to biotic and abiotic stimuli. Moreover, transgenic lines exhibited a greater number of lateral roots and longer root length compared with Vec lines (empty vector lines) after drought and salt treatment. These results indicate that overexpression of SlNAC35 promoted root growth and development under drought and salt stresses. Higher expressions of NtARF1, NtARF2 and NtARF8 were observed under drought and salt stresses in transgenic lines, suggesting that overexpression of SlNAC35 promoted growth and development of roots in transgenic lines possibly by involving auxin signaling and by regulating NtARF expression. In addition, SlNAC35 overexpression improved resistance to bacterial pathogen in transgenic tobacco, and reactive oxygen species may be in the upstream of salicylic acid (SA) signaling in transgenic tobacco during defense response.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Guodong
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Song
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Xiaocui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Fanying
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai'an, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Qingwei
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Meng
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D055864:Droughts; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010802:Phylogeny; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D020156:Salicylic Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D036226:Seedlings / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D020156:Salicylic Acid