title: Molecular regulation and physiological functions of a novel FaHsfA2c cloned from tall fescue conferring plant tolerance to heat stress.
abstract: Heat stress transcription factors (HSFs) compose a large gene family, and different members play differential roles in regulating plant responses to abiotic stress. The objectives of this study were to identify and characterize an A2-type HSF, FaHsfA2c, in a cool-season perennial grass tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) for its association with heat tolerance and to determine the underlying physiological functions and regulatory mechanisms of FaHsfA2c imparting plant tolerance to heat stress. FaHsfA2c was localized in nucleus and exhibited a rapid transcriptional increase in leaves and roots during early phase of heat stress. Ectopic expression of FaHsfA2c improved basal and acquired thermotolerance in wild-type Arabidopsis and also restored heat-sensitive deficiency of hsfa2 mutant. Overexpression of FaHsfA2c in tall fescue enhanced plant tolerance to heat by triggering transcriptional regulation of heat-protective gene expression, improving photosynthetic capacity and maintaining plant growth under heat stress. Our results indicated that FaHsfA2c acted as a positive regulator conferring thermotolerance improvement in Arabidopsis and tall fescue, and it could be potentially used as a candidate gene for genetic modification and molecular breeding to develop heat-tolerant cool-season grass species.
authors: College of Agro-Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.|Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
authors: Xiuyun
authors: X
authors: Wang
authors: College of Agro-Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors: Wanlu
authors: W
authors: Huang
authors: College of Agro-Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Liu
authors: College of Agro-Grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China.
authors: Zhimin
authors: Z
authors: Yang
authors: Department of Plant Biology and Pathology, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ, USA.
authors: Bingru
authors: B
authors: Huang
mesh_terms: D024342:Amino Acids, Acidic; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000378:metabolism; D032621:DNA Shuffling; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D031751:Festuca / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D017343:Genes, Plant; D000076249:Heat Shock Transcription Factors; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D010802:Phylogeny; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D012621:Seasons; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000235:genetics; D015996:Survival Rate; D000071436:Thermotolerance / Q000235:genetics*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D024342:Amino Acids, Acidic; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C000620134:HSFA2 protein, Arabidopsis; D000076249:Heat Shock Transcription Factors; D006360:Heat-Shock Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D002734:Chlorophyll
keywords: HSPs; HsfA2c; heat stress; physiological functions; tall fescue; thermotolerance