Functional characterization of ethylene response factor1 (AtERF1) in response to abiotic stresses in Arabidopsis
Date Issued
2011
Date
2011
Author(s)
Liao, Po-Ming
Abstract
Abiotic stresses, including salinity and drought, limit crop productivity and affect the expression of many genes in plants. Regulation of genes at transcriptional level has been described in response to environmental stresses. Particularly, many transcription factor (TF) genes are stress inducible, and function in regulating stress signal transduction pathways. Here, we screened a pool of ERF transcription factor transgenic T2 seeds of Arabidopsis thaliana by dehydration test, and identified a gene, Ethylene Response Factor 1 (ERF1,AT3G23240), which is resistant to drought stress. In previous report, ERF1, as a transcription factor, was activated by jasmonic acid (JA) and ethylene, and involved in pathogen resistance. The drought and salt test results showed that ERF1 overexpressing (OE) lines are more tolerant than wild-type (WT) plants. However, ERF1 RNAi transgenic lines showed no difference from WT in response to drought and salt. The ERF1 OE lines also had higher germination rate under salt stress compared with WT. The GUS (β-glucuronidase) staining showed ERF1 mainly expresses in vascular bundles. In stomatal aperture experiments, ERF1 OE lines plants showed a higher sensitivity to the application of ABA for its induction of stomatal closure. ERF1 OE lines also displayed less transpirational water loss. ERF1 OE lines accumulated more proline than WT under salt and drought stresses. By using microarray analysis, we found several genes up-regulated in the ERF1 OE lines, which have known functions in salt and drought stress tolerance. Our results suggested that ERF1 may play a positive role to enhance tolerance of salt and drought stresses, and a merging point of biotic and abiotic signaling.
Subjects
ERF1
abiotic stress
Arabidopsis
Type
thesis
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