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Characterization of a novel wheat NAC transcription factor gene involved in defense response against stripe rust pathogen infection and abiotic stresses

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Abstract

Proteins encoded by the NAC gene family constitute one of the largest plant-specific transcription factors, which have been identified to play many important roles in both abiotic and biotic stress adaptation, as well as in plant development regulation. In the current paper, a full-length cDNA sequence of a novel wheat NAC gene, designated as TaNAC4, was isolated using in silico cloning and the reverse transcription PCR (RT–PCR) methods. TaNAC4 sharing high homology with rice OsNAC4 gene was predicted to encode a protein of 308 amino acid residues, which contained a plant-specific NAC domain in the N-terminus. Transient expression analysis indicated that the deduced TaNAC4 protein was localized in the nucleus of onion epidemical cells. Yeast one-hybrid assay revealed that the C-terminal region of the TaNAC4 protein had transcriptional activity. The expression of TaNAC4 was largely higher in the wheat seedling roots, than that in leaves and stems. TaNAC4 transcript in wheat leaves was induced by the infection of strip rust pathogen, and also by exogenous applied methyl jasmonate (MeJA), ABA and ethylene. However, salicylic acid (SA) had no obvious effect on TaNAC4 expression. Environmental stimuli, including high salinity, wounding, and low-temperature also induced TaNAC4 expression. These results indicate that this novel TaNAC4 gene functions as a transcriptional activator involved in wheat response to biotic and abiotic stresses.

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Abbreviations

NAC:

NAM ATAF1/2 CUC2

PST :

Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici Westend

RT-PCR:

Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction

qRT-PCR:

Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction

MeJA:

Methyl jasmonate

ET:

Ethylene

ABA:

Abscisc acid

SA:

Salicylic acid

Fp:

Forward primer

Rp:

Reverse primer

Hpi:

Hour post inoculation

Hpt:

Hour post treatment

BLAST:

Basic local alignment search tool

ORF:

Open reading frame

GFP:

Green fluorescent protein

HR:

Hypersensitive response

X-GAL:

β-d-Galactopyranoside

CaMV:

Cauliflower mosaic virus

VIGS:

Virus induced gene silencing

RNAi:

RNA interference

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Acknowledgements

This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 30930064 and No. 30800712), the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (863 Program, No. 2006AA10A104), the earmarked fund for Modern Agro-industry Technology Research System,and the 111 Project from the Ministry of Education of China (B07049).

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  1. Gang Zhang

    Present address: College of Pharmacy, Shaanxi University of Chinese Medicine, 712046, Xianyang, Shaanxi, China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology for Agriculture, College of Plant Protection, Northwest A&F University, 712100, Yangling, Shaanxi, China

    Ning Xia, Xin-Ying Liu, Lin Deng, Gao-Lei Cai, Yi Zhang, Xiao-Jie Wang, Jie Zhao, Li-Li Huang & Zhen-Sheng Kang

  2. Institute of Medicinal Plant Development, Peking Union Medical College, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, 100193, Beijing, China

    Gang Zhang

  3. Plant Protection Station of Xián Agricultural Technology Extension & Service, 710061, Xián, Shaanxi, China

    Yi Zhang

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  1. Ning Xia
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Ning Xia and Gang Zhang contribute equally to this work.

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Xia, N., Zhang, G., Liu, XY. et al. Characterization of a novel wheat NAC transcription factor gene involved in defense response against stripe rust pathogen infection and abiotic stresses. Mol Biol Rep 37, 3703–3712 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11033-010-0023-4

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