Soybean DREB1/CBF-type transcription factors function in heat and drought as well as cold stress-responsive gene expression.

Abstract

Soybean (Glycine max) is a globally important crop, and its growth and yield are severely reduced by abiotic stresses, such as drought, heat, and cold. The cis-acting element DRE (dehydration-responsive element)/CRT plays an important role in activating gene expression in response to these stresses. The Arabidopsis DREB1/CBF genes that encode DRE-binding proteins function as transcriptional activators in the cold stress responsive gene expression. In this study, we identified 14 DREB1-type transcription factors (GmDREB1s) from a soybean genome database. The expression of most GmDREB1 genes in soybean was strongly induced by a variety of abiotic stresses, such as cold, drought, high salt, and heat. The GmDREB1 proteins activated transcription via DREs (dehydration-responsive element) in Arabidopsis and soybean protoplasts. Transcriptome analyses using transgenic Arabidopsis plants overexpressing GmDREB1s indicated that many of the downstream genes are cold-inducible and overlap with those of Arabidopsis DREB1A. We then comprehensively analyzed the downstream genes of GmDREB1B;1, which is closely related to DREB1A, using a transient expression system in soybean protoplasts. The expression of numerous genes induced by various abiotic stresses were increased by overexpressing GmDREB1B;1 in soybean, and DREs were the most conserved element in the promoters of these genes. The downstream genes of GmDREB1B;1 included numerous soybean-specific stress-inducible genes that encode an ABA receptor family protein, GmPYL21, and translation-related genes, such as ribosomal proteins. We confirmed that GmDREB1B;1 directly activates GmPYL21 expression and enhances ABRE-mediated gene expression in an ABA-independent manner. These results suggest that GmDREB1 proteins activate the expression of numerous soybean-specific stress-responsive genes under diverse abiotic stress conditions.

• Authors: Satoshi Kidokoro, Keitaro Watanabe, Teppei Ohori, Takashi Moriwaki, Kyonoshin Maruyama, Junya Mizoi, Nang Myint Phyu Sin Htwe, Yasunari Fujita, Sachiko Sekita, Kazuo Shinozaki, Kazuko Yamaguchi-Shinozaki
• Journal: The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology (Plant J) Vol. 81 Issue 3 Pg. 505-18 (Feb 2015) ISSN: 1365-313X [Electronic] England
• PMID: 25495120 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
• Copyright: © 2014 The Authors The Plant Journal © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Chemical References

• Transcription Factors

Topics

• Arabidopsis (genetics)
• Cold-Shock Response (genetics)
• Gene Expression Regulation, Plant
• Heat-Shock Response (genetics)
• Phylogeny
• Plants, Genetically Modified (metabolism, physiology)
• Glycine max (genetics, metabolism, physiology)
• Transcription Factors (genetics, metabolism, physiology)