Arabidopsis DPB3-1, a DREB2A interactor, specifically enhances heat stress-induced gene expression by forming a heat stress-specific transcriptional complex with NF-Y subunits.

Abstract

DEHYDRATION-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING PROTEIN2A (DREB2A) is a key transcription factor for drought and heat stress tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana. DREB2A induces the expression of dehydration- and heat stress-inducible genes under the corresponding stress conditions. Target gene selectivity is assumed to require stress-specific posttranslational regulation, but the mechanisms of this process are not yet understood. Here, we identified DNA POLYMERASE II SUBUNIT B3-1 (DPB3-1), which was previously annotated as NUCLEAR FACTOR Y, SUBUNIT C10 (NF-YC10), as a DREB2A interactor, through a yeast two-hybrid screen. The overexpression of DPB3-1 in Arabidopsis enhanced the expression of a subset of heat stress-inducible DREB2A target genes but did not affect dehydration-inducible genes. Similarly, the depletion of DPB3-1 expression resulted in reduced expression of heat stress-inducible genes. Interaction and expression pattern analyses suggested the existence of a trimer comprising NF-YA2, NF-YB3, and DPB3-1 that could synergistically activate a promoter of the heat stress-inducible gene with DREB2A in protoplasts. These results suggest that DPB3-1 could form a transcriptional complex with NF-YA and NF-YB subunits and that the identified trimer enhances heat stress-inducible gene expression during heat stress responses in cooperation with DREB2A. We propose that the identified trimer contributes to the target gene selectivity of DREB2A under heat stress conditions.

• Authors: Hikaru Sato, Junya Mizoi, Hidenori Tanaka, Kyonosin Maruyama, Feng Qin, Yuriko Osakabe, Kyoko Morimoto, Teppei Ohori, Kazuya Kusakabe, Maika Nagata, Kazuo Shinozaki, Kazuko Yamaguchi-Shinozaki
• Journal: The Plant cell (Plant Cell) Vol. 26 Issue 12 Pg. 4954-73 (Dec 2014) ISSN: 1532-298X [Electronic] England
• PMID: 25490919 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2014 American Society of Plant Biologists. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Arabidopsis Proteins
• DREB2A protein, Arabidopsis
• Transcription Factors
• DPB3-1 protein, Arabidopsis
• DNA Polymerase II

Topics

• Arabidopsis (genetics, metabolism, physiology)
• Arabidopsis Proteins (genetics, metabolism, physiology)
• DNA Polymerase II (genetics, metabolism, physiology)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
• Gene Knockdown Techniques
• Heat-Shock Response (genetics)
• Promoter Regions, Genetic
• Protoplasts (metabolism)
• Transcription Factors (metabolism)
• Two-Hybrid System Techniques