title: Cloning and characterization of an ABA-independent DREB transcription factor gene,HcDREB2, inHemarthria compressa.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hemarthria compressais a stoloniferous perennial tropical forage grass with a wide geographic distribution; however, environmental stress has a great influence on its growth. The DREB transcription factor family genes contains candidate genes for improving plant stress tolerance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  From cold-treatedH. compressaplants, a putativeDREB2gene (HcDREB2) was cloned using the RACE-PCR method.HcDREB2was 1296 bp in length and encoded a putative protein 264 amino acid residues long.HcDREB2shared the highest sequence identity withDREB2in sorghum. The expression of HcDREB2 was independent of ABA treatment, but inducible by low temperatures as well as drought and high salinity treatments. Yeast one-hybrid assays showed that HcDREB2 directly bound the DRE cis-acting element to transactivate the expression of the downstream reporter genes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HcDREB2, a stress-inducible but ABA-independent transcription factor gene, can transactivate downstream genes by binding to the DRE cis-element. The current results are a foundation for making use of this stress tolerance gene in futureH. compressastudies.
authors.affiliation: Animal Science Department, Xichang college, Xichang, 615000 China.|Grassland Science Department, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, 625014 China.
authors.forename: Yongxia
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Grassland Science Department, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, 625014 China.
authors.forename: Linkai
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Grassland Science Department, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, 625014 China.
authors.forename: Haidong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: Grassland Science Department, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, 625014 China.
authors.forename: Xinquan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Agro-grassland Science, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095 China.
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Grassland Science Department, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya'an, 625014 China.
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
mesh_terms: D000040:Abscisic Acid; D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003080:Cold Temperature; D055864:Droughts; D018506:Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000235:genetics*; D054712:Salinity; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D010940:Plant Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; D000040:Abscisic Acid
keywords: Cold stress; DREB transcription factor; Drought and salt stress; Hemarthria compressa; Yeast one-hybrid system