title: Direct transcriptional activation of BT genes by NLP transcription factors is a key component of the nitrate response in Arabidopsis.
abstract: Nitrate modulates growth and development, functioning as a nutrient signal in plants. Although many changes in physiological processes in response to nitrate have been well characterized as nitrate responses, the molecular mechanisms underlying the nitrate response are not yet fully understood. Here, we show that NLP transcription factors, which are key regulators of the nitrate response, directly activate the nitrate-inducible expression of BT1 and BT2 encoding putative scaffold proteins with a plant-specific domain structure in Arabidopsis. Interestingly, the 35S promoter-driven expression of BT2 partially rescued growth inhibition caused by reductions in NLP activity in Arabidopsis. Furthermore, simultaneous disruption of BT1 and BT2 affected nitrate-dependent lateral root development. These results suggest that direct activation of BT1 and BT2 by NLP transcriptional activators is a key component of the molecular mechanism underlying the nitrate response in Arabidopsis.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science and Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku N10-W8, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Shugo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maekawa
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Mineko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Konishi
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Nozomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yoshioka
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science and Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku N10-W8, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science and Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku N10-W8, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Haruna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ishida
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Science and Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-ku N10-W8, Sapporo 060-0810, Japan.
authors.forename: Junji
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yamaguchi
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Research Center, The University of Tokyo, Yayoi 1-1-1, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan. Electronic address: asyanagi@mail.ecc.u-tokyo.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yanagisawa
mesh_terms: D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D001665:Binding Sites; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D009154:Mutation; D009566:Nitrates / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000378:metabolism; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D000072417:Protein Domains; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015533:Transcriptional Activation
chemical_list: D029681:Arabidopsis Proteins; C000619948:BT1 protein, Arabidopsis; C519868:BT2 protein, Arabidopsis; D009566:Nitrates; D014157:Transcription Factors
keywords: Arabidopsis thaliana; BT proteins; BTB domain-containing protein; Higher plants; NLP transcription factor; Nitrate response