scholarly journals Molecular cloning and expression analysis of threeThERFs involved in the response to waterlogging stress ofTaxodium‘Zhongshanshan406’, and subcellular localization of the gene products

PeerJ ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. e4434 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wencai Fan ◽  
Ying Yang ◽  
Zhiquan Wang ◽  
Yunlong Yin ◽  
Chaoguang Yu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Cloning And Expression ◽  
Ethylene Response Factor ◽  
Sequence Alignments ◽  
Ethylene Concentration ◽  
Waterlogging Stress ◽  
Flooding Stress ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Ethylene Response

As a subfamily of the APETALA 2/ethylene response element binding protein (AP2/EREBP) transcription factor superfamily, the ethylene response factor (ERF) is widely involved in the regulation of growth and response to various abiotic stresses in plants, and has been shown to be the main transcription factor regulating transcription of the genes related to hypoxia and waterlogging stress. In this study, threeThERFgenes, with significant differences in expression profile in response to flooding stress, were identified from the transcriptomics data acquired fromTaxodiumhybrid ‘Zhongshanshan 406’ (T. mucronatumTenore ×T. distichum(L.) Rich) under waterlogging stress:ThERF15, ThERF39 and ThRAP2.3(GenBank ID:KY463467,KY463468andKY463470, respectively).The full-length cDNA of each of the threeERFs was obtained using the RACE (rapid amplification cDNA ends) method, and all three were intron-free. Multiple protein sequence alignments indicated that ThERF15, ThERF39 and ThRAP2.3 proteins all had only one AP2-ERF domain and belonged to the ERF subfamily. A transient gene expression assay demonstrated that ThERF15, ThERF39 and ThRAP2.3 were all localized to the nucleus. Real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) revealed that the expression ofThERF15, ThERF39 and ThRAP2.3exhibited significant differences, compared with the control, in response to two levels of flooding treatment (half-flooding or total-submergence) of ‘Zhongshanshan 406’. Quantification of ethylene concentration revealed that ethylene was more relevant to the level of expression than the period of flooding treatment. Based on the experimental results above,ThERF15, ThERF39andThRAP2.3were identified as being related to the regulation of downstream flooding- responsive gene expression in ‘Zhongshanshan 406’.ThRAP2.3is most likely to be a key downstream-response ERF gene to respond to the output of the ethylene signal generated by flooding stress.

scholarly journals EspM Is a Conserved Transcription Factor That Regulates Gene Expression in Response to the ESX-1 System

mBio ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin G. Sanchez ◽  
Micah J. Ferrell ◽  
Alexandra E. Chirakos ◽  
Kathleen R. Nicholson ◽  
Robert B. Abramovitch ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Protein Transport ◽  
Transcriptional Response ◽  
Secretion System ◽  
Pathogenic Species ◽  
Macrophage Infection ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Phagosomal Membrane

ABSTRACT Pathogenic mycobacteria encounter multiple environments during macrophage infection. Temporally, the bacteria are engulfed into the phagosome, lyse the phagosomal membrane, and interact with the cytosol before spreading to another cell. Virulence factors secreted by the mycobacterial ESX-1 (ESAT-6-system-1) secretion system mediate the essential transition from the phagosome to the cytosol. It was recently discovered that the ESX-1 system also regulates mycobacterial gene expression in Mycobacterium marinum (R. E. Bosserman, T. T. Nguyen, K. G. Sanchez, A. E. Chirakos, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 114:E10772–E10781, 2017, https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1710167114), a nontuberculous mycobacterial pathogen, and in the human-pathogenic species M. tuberculosis (A. M. Abdallah, E. M. Weerdenburg, Q. Guan, R. Ummels, et al., PLoS One 14:e0211003, 2019, https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0211003). It is not known how the ESX-1 system regulates gene expression. Here, we identify the first transcription factor required for the ESX-1-dependent transcriptional response in pathogenic mycobacteria. We demonstrate that the gene divergently transcribed from the whiB6 gene and adjacent to the ESX-1 locus in mycobacterial pathogens encodes a conserved transcription factor (MMAR_5438, Rv3863, now espM). We prove that EspM from both M. marinum and M. tuberculosis directly and specifically binds the whiB6-espM intergenic region. We show that EspM is required for ESX-1-dependent repression of whiB6 expression and for the regulation of ESX-1-associated gene expression. Finally, we demonstrate that EspM functions to fine-tune ESX-1 activity in M. marinum. Taking the data together, this report extends the esx-1 locus, defines a conserved regulator of the ESX-1 virulence pathway, and begins to elucidate how the ESX-1 system regulates gene expression. IMPORTANCE Mycobacterial pathogens use the ESX-1 system to transport protein substrates that mediate essential interactions with the host during infection. We previously demonstrated that in addition to transporting proteins, the ESX-1 secretion system regulates gene expression. Here, we identify a conserved transcription factor that regulates gene expression in response to the ESX-1 system. We demonstrate that this transcription factor is functionally conserved in M. marinum, a pathogen of ectothermic animals; M. tuberculosis, the human-pathogenic species that causes tuberculosis; and M. smegmatis, a nonpathogenic mycobacterial species. These findings provide the first mechanistic insight into how the ESX-1 system elicits a transcriptional response, a function of this protein transport system that was previously unknown.

scholarly journals Structural insights into DNA sequence recognition by Arabidopsis ETHYLENE RESPONSE FACTOR 96

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Yen Chen ◽  
Pei-Hsuan Lin ◽  
Kun-Hung Chen ◽  
Yi-Sheng Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Defense Responses ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Ethylene Response Factor ◽  
Response Factor ◽  
Recognition Sequence ◽  
Gcc Box ◽  
Sequence Recognition ◽  
Ethylene Response ◽  
Α Helix

ABSTRACTThe phytohormone ethylene is widely involved in many developmental processes and is a crucial regulator of defense responses against biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. Ethylene-responsive element binding protein (EREBP), a member of the APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) superfamily, is a transcription factor that regulates stress-responsive genes by recognizing a specific cis-acting element of target DNA. A previous study showed only the NMR structure of the AP2/ERF domain of AtERF100 in complex with a GCC box DNA motif. In this report, we determined the crystal structure of AtERF96 in complex with a GCC box at atomic resolution. We analyzed the binding residues of the conserved AP2/ERF domain in the DNA recognition sequence. In addition to the AP2/ERF domain, an N-terminal α-helix of AtERF96 participates in DNA interaction in the flanking region. We also demonstrated the structure of AtERF96 EDLL motif, a unique conserved motif in the group IX of AP2/ERF family, is critical for the transactivation of defense-related genes. Our study establishes the structural basis of the AtERF96 transcription factor in complex with the GCC box, as well as the DNA binding mechanisms of the N-terminal α-helix and AP2/ERF domain.

scholarly journals Cuticle Collagen Expression Is Regulated in Response to Environmental Stimuli by the GATA Transcription Factor ELT-3 in Caenorhabditis elegans

Genetics ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 215 (2) ◽  
pp. 483-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiva Mesbahi ◽  
Kim B. Pho ◽  
Andrea J. Tench ◽  
Victoria L. Leon Guerrero ◽  
Lesley T. MacNeil
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Caenorhabditis Elegans ◽  
Collagen Gene ◽  
Missense Mutations ◽  
Environmental Stimuli ◽  
Link Type ◽  
Collagen Gene Expression ◽  
Gata Transcription Factor ◽  
Collagen Genes

The nematode Caenorhabditis elegans is protected from the environment by the cuticle, an extracellular collagen-based matrix that encloses the animal. Over 170 cuticular collagens are predicted in the C. elegans genome, but the role of each individual collagen is unclear. Stage-specific specialization of the cuticle explains the need for some collagens; however, the large number of collagens suggests that specialization of the cuticle may also occur in response to other environmental triggers. Missense mutations in many collagen genes can disrupt cuticle morphology, producing a helically twisted body causing the animal to move in a stereotypical pattern described as rolling. We find that environmental factors, including diet, early developmental arrest, and population density can differentially influence the penetrance of rolling in these mutants. These effects are in part due to changes in collagen gene expression that are mediated by the GATA family transcription factor ELT-3. We propose a model by which ELT-3 regulates collagen gene expression in response to environmental stimuli to promote the assembly of a cuticle specialized to a given environment.

scholarly journals Overexpression of Barley Transcription Factor HvERF2.11 in Arabidopsis Enhances Plant Waterlogging Tolerance

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 1982
Author(s):  
Haiye Luan ◽  
Baojian Guo ◽  
Huiquan Shen ◽  
Yuhan Pan ◽  
Yi Hong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Antioxidant Enzymes ◽  
Transgenic Plants ◽  
Waterlogging Tolerance ◽  
Waterlogging Stress ◽  
Ethylene Responsive Factor ◽  
Growth Development ◽  
Do So

Waterlogging stress significantly affects the growth, development, and productivity of crop plants. However, manipulation of gene expression to enhance waterlogging tolerance is very limited. In this study, we identified an ethylene-responsive factor from barley, which was strongly induced by waterlogging stress. This transcription factor named HvERF2.11 was 1158 bp in length and encoded 385 amino acids, and mainly expressed in the adventitious root and seminal root. Overexpression of HvERF2.11 in Arabidopsis led to enhanced tolerance to waterlogging stress. Further analysis of the transgenic plants showed that the expression of AtSOD1, AtPOD1 and AtACO1 increased rapidly, while the same genes did not do so in non-transgenic plants, under waterlogging stress. Activities of antioxidant enzymes and alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) were also significantly higher in the transgenic plants than in the non-transgenic plants under waterlogging stress. Therefore, these results indicate that HvERF2.11 plays a positive regulatory role in plant waterlogging tolerance through regulation of waterlogging-related genes, improving antioxidant and ADH enzymes activities.

scholarly journals Overexpression of NtERF5, a New Member of the Tobacco Ethylene Response Transcription Factor Family Enhances Resistance to Tobacco mosaic virus

2004 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 1162-1171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ute Fischer ◽  
Wolfgang Dröge-Laser
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Tobacco Mosaic Virus ◽  
Mosaic Virus ◽  
Pseudomonas Syringae ◽  
Ethylene Response Factor ◽  
Transcription Factor Family ◽  
Enhanced Resistance ◽  
Ethylene Response ◽  
Systemic Spread ◽  
Regulated Gene Expression

A new member of the tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) AP2/ERF (ethylene response factor) transcription factor family, designated NtERF5, has been isolated by yeast one-hybrid screening. In vitro, recombinant NtERF5 protein weakly binds GCC box cis-elements, which mediate pathogen-regulated transcription of several PR (pathogenesis related) genes. NtERF5 transcription is transiently activated by wounding, by infection with the bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas syringae, as well as by inoculation with Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV). In contrast, NtERF5 transcription is not enhanced after application of salicylic acid, jasmonic acid, or ethylene. Constitutive overexpression of NtERF5 (ERF5-Oex) under control of the 35S promoter results in no visible alterations in plant growth or enhanced resistance to Pseudomonas infection. Furthermore, no constitutive expression of PR genes has been observed. In contrast, ERF5-Oex plants show enhanced resistance to TMV with reference to reduced size of local hypersensitive-response lesions and impaired systemic spread of the virus. Since, in TMV-infected ERF5-Oex plants, the viral RNA accumulates only up to 10 to 30% of the wild-type level, we suggest that NtERF5-regulated gene expression is controlling resistance to viral propagation. Previous research has demonstrated that overexpression of ERF genes enhances resistance to bacterial and fungal pathogens. Here, we provide further evidence that resistance to viral infection can be engineered by overexpression of ERF transcription factors.

scholarly journals Structural insights into Arabidopsis ethylene response factor 96 with an extended N-terminal binding to GCC box

2020 ◽  
Vol 104 (4-5) ◽  
pp. 483-498
Author(s):  
Chun-Yen Chen ◽  
Pei-Hsuan Lin ◽  
Kun-Hung Chen ◽  
Yi-Sheng Cheng
Keyword(s):  
Transcription Factor ◽  
Protein A ◽  
Defense Responses ◽  
Structural Basis ◽  
Ethylene Response Factor ◽  
Response Factor ◽  
Recognition Sequence ◽  
Gcc Box ◽  
Ethylene Response ◽  
Α Helix

Abstract The phytohormone ethylene is widely involved in many developmental processes and is a crucial regulator of defense responses against biotic and abiotic stresses in plants. Ethylene-responsive element binding protein, a member of the APETALA2/ethylene response factor (AP2/ERF) superfamily, is a transcription factor that regulates stress-responsive genes by recognizing a specific cis-acting element of target DNA. A previous study showed only the NMR structure of the AP2/ERF domain of AtERF100 in complex with a GCC box DNA motif. In this report, we determined the crystal structure of AtERF96 in complex with a GCC box at atomic resolution. We analyzed the binding residues of the conserved AP2/ERF domain in the DNA recognition sequence. In addition to the AP2/ERF domain, an N-terminal α-helix of AtERF96 participates in DNA interaction in the flanking region. We also demonstrated the structure of AtERF96 EDLL motif, a unique conserved motif in the group IX of AP2/ERF family, might involve in the transactivation of defense-related genes. Our study establishes the structural basis of the AtERF96 transcription factor in complex with the GCC box, as well as the DNA binding mechanisms of the N-terminal α-helix and AP2/ERF domain.

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