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Overexpression of a garlic nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) B gene, AsNF-YB3, affects seed germination and plant growth in transgenic tobacco

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Abstract

Nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) is a ubiquitous transcription factor found in many eukaryotic organisms. NF-Y consists of three distinct subunits, namely, NF-YA, NF-YB, and NF-YC. In this study, a NF-YB gene, AsNF-YB3, containing the full-length coding region was isolated from garlic. A sequence alignment and phylogenetic analysis showed that AsNF-YB3 clustered with TaNF-YB2 and AtNF-YB3. AsNF-YB3 was expressed in various organs, including the roots, cloves and leaves. A real-time RT-PCR analysis revealed that GA3, ABA and MeJA treatment upregulated the expression of AsNF-YB3 transcript. Overexpressing AsNF-YB3 in tobacco plants significantly accelerated germination compared to the wild type. Moreover, the total soluble sugar, fructose and sucrose levels were significantly higher in transgenic tobacco lines that constitutively overexpressed AsNF-YB3, suggesting that AsNF-YB3 might be involved in carbohydrate metabolism. Transgenic tobacco plants that overexpressed AsNF-YB3 displayed enhanced root elongation and shoot growth. The overexpression of AsNF-YB3 also strongly promoted early flowering in tobacco. The results of this study in tobacco suggest that garlic AsNF-YB3 likely plays an important role as a plant growth regulator.

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Acknowledgments

This study is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31372084) and by the Chinese National Department Public Benefit Research Foundation (201303108).

Author contributions

Shiqi Liu and Xiudong Sun designed the experiments. Xiudong Sun, Shumei Zhou prepared the isolation of AsNF-YB3 gene, plasmid construction and Agrobacterium mediated transformation of tobacco plants, and other experiments. Yuqian Ren, Xianzheng Zhang, Haifeng Lian carried out phenotypic analysis of transgenic tobacco plants, determined starch, total soluble sugar, sucrose and fructose contents and conducted statistical analysis. Shiqi Liu and Xiudong Sun prepared the manuscript.

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  1. State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (Huanghuai Region), College of Horticulture Science and Engineering, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong, 271018, People’s Republic of China

    Xiudong Sun, Yuqian Ren, Xianzheng Zhang, Haifeng Lian & Shiqi Liu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Crop Biology, College of Life Science, Shandong Agricultural University, Tai’an, Shandong, 271018, People’s Republic of China

    Shumei Zhou

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  1. Xiudong Sun
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Correspondence to Shiqi Liu.

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We declare that we have no financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that can inappropriately influence our work, there is no professional or other personal interest of any nature or kind in any product, service and/or company that could be construed as influencing the position presented in, or the review of, the manuscript entitled, “Overexpression of a garlic nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) B gene, AsNF-YB3, affects seed germination and plant growth in transgenic tobacco”.

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Sun, X., Ren, Y., Zhang, X. et al. Overexpression of a garlic nuclear factor Y (NF-Y) B gene, AsNF-YB3, affects seed germination and plant growth in transgenic tobacco. Plant Cell Tiss Organ Cult 127, 513–523 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11240-016-1076-4

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