Overexpression of a <i>Fragaria vesca</i> NAM, ATAF, and CUC (NAC) Transcription Factor Gene (<i>FvNAC29</i>) Increases Salt and Cold Tolerance in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i>
The NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, CUC2) family of transcription factors (TFs) is a vital transcription factor family of plants. It controls multiple parts of plant development, tissue formation, and abiotic stress response. We cloned the <i>FvNAC29</i> gene from <i>Fragaria vesca</i> (a...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2024-04-01
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| Series: | International Journal of Molecular Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/25/7/4088 |
| Summary: | The NAC (NAM, ATAF1/2, CUC2) family of transcription factors (TFs) is a vital transcription factor family of plants. It controls multiple parts of plant development, tissue formation, and abiotic stress response. We cloned the <i>FvNAC29</i> gene from <i>Fragaria vesca</i> (a diploid strawberry) for this research. There is a conserved NAM structural domain in the FvNAC29 protein. The highest homology between FvNAC29 and PaNAC1 was found by phylogenetic tree analysis. Subcellular localization revealed that FvNAC29 is localized onto the nucleus. Compared to other tissues, the expression level of <i>FvNAC29</i> was higher in young leaves and roots. In addition, <i>Arabidopsis</i> plants overexpressing <i>FvNAC29</i> had higher cold and high-salinity tolerance than the wild type (WT) and unloaded line with empty vector (UL). The proline and chlorophyll contents of transgenic <i>Arabidopsis</i> plants, along with the activities of the antioxidant enzymes like catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and superoxide dismutase (SOD) under 200 mM NaCl treatment or −8 °C treatment, were higher than those activities of the control. Meanwhile, malondialdehyde (MDA) and the reactive oxygen species (ROS) content were higher in the WT and UL lines. <i>FvNAC29</i> improves transgenic plant resistance to cold and salt stress by regulating the expression levels of <i>AtRD29a</i>, <i>AtCCA1</i>, <i>AtP5CS1</i>, and <i>AtSnRK2.4</i>. It also improves the potential to tolerate cold stress by positively regulating the expression levels of <i>AtCBF1</i>, <i>AtCBF4</i>, <i>AtCOR15a</i>, and <i>AtCOR47</i>. These findings suggest that <i>FvNAC29</i> may be related to the processes and the molecular mechanisms of <i>F. vesca</i> response to high-salinity stress and LT stress, providing a comprehensive understanding of the NAC TFs. |
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| ISSN: | 1661-6596 1422-0067 |