title: GhATAF1, a NAC transcription factor, confers abiotic and biotic stress responses by regulating phytohormonal signaling networks.
abstract: Dual function of GhATAF1 in the responses to salinity stress and Verticillium dahliae infection in cotton. NAC (NAM/ATAF1/2/CUC2) is a large plant-specific transcription factor family that plays important roles in the response to abiotic stresses. We previously isolated a cotton NAC transcription factor gene, GhATAF1, which was up-regulated by ABA, cold and salt stresses and classified into AFAT1/2, a sub-family of NAC. Here, we report that GhATAF1 was also highly induced by MeJA, SA and Verticillium dahliae inoculation, which implied that GhATAF1 was involved not only in the response to abiotic stress but also in the response to biotic stress. GhATAF1 was localized in the nucleus and possessed transactivation activity. Overexpression of GhATAF1 enhanced cotton plant tolerance to salt stress by enhancing the expression of various stress-related genes, including the ABA response gene GhABI4; the transporter gene GhHKT1, involved in Na(+)/K(+) homeostasis; and several stress-response genes (GhAVP1, GhRD22, GhDREB2A, GhLEA3, and GhLEA6). Additionally, overexpressing GhATAF1 increased cotton plant susceptibility to the fungal pathogens V. dahliae and Botrytis cinerea, coupled with the suppression of JA-mediated signaling and the activation of SA-mediated signaling. Our results suggested that GhATAF1, the cotton stress-responsive NAC transcription factor, plays important roles in the response to both abiotic stress and biotic stress by coordinating the phytohormone signaling networks.
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Xin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Longfu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Weifeng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, People's Republic of China. xlzhang@mail.hzau.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Xianlong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D003517:Cyclopentanes / Q000494:pharmacology; D060467:Disease Resistance; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant / Q000187:drug effects; D003368:Gossypium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000502:physiology*; D054883:Oxylipins / Q000494:pharmacology; D010935:Plant Diseases / Q000382:microbiology; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D020156:Salicylic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D055049:Salt Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D013347:Subcellular Fractions / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D020172:Verticillium / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D003517:Cyclopentanes; D054883:Oxylipins; D010937:Plant Growth Regulators; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C011006:jasmonic acid; D020156:Salicylic Acid
keywords: Abiotic stress; Biotic stress; Cotton ( Gossypium hirsutum); NAC gene; Phytohormones