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Novel role of ZmaNAC36 in co-expression of starch synthetic genes in maize endosperm

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Abstract

Starch is an essential commodity that is widely used as food, feed, fuel and in industry. However, its mechanism of synthesis is not fully understood, especially in terms of the expression and regulation of the starch synthetic genes. It was reported that the starch synthetic genes were co-expressed during maize endosperm development; however, the mechanism of the co-expression was not reported. In this paper, the ZmaNAC36 gene was amplified by homology-based cloning, and its expression vector was constructed for transient expression. The nuclear localization, transcriptional activation and target sites of the ZmaNAC36 protein were identified. The expression profile of ZmaNAC36 showed that it was strongly expressed in the maize endosperm and was co-expressed with most of the starch synthetic genes. Moreover, the expressions of many starch synthesis genes in the endosperm were upregulated when ZmaNAC36 was transiently overexpressed. All our results indicated that NAC36 might be a transcription factor and play a potential role in the co-expression of starch synthetic genes in the maize endosperm.

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Abbreviations

AGPase:

ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase

ADPG:

Adenosine diphosphate glucose

ATAF1/2:

Arabidopsis thaliana transcription activation factor

CUC2:

Cup-shaped cotyledon

DAP:

Day after pollination

DBE:

Debranching enzymes

GBSS:

Granule-bound starch synthase

IPTG:

Isopropyl β-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside

SBE:

Starch-branching enzymes

SSS:

Soluble granule-bound starch synthase

SP:

Starch phosphorylase

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Key Basic Research Program of China (No: 2014CB138205), cultivating fund of excellent master degree theses of Sichuan Agriculture University, and the Preferentially Financing projects of scientific and technological activities of overseas students in Sichuan province.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Maize Research Institute, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huiming Road, Chengdu, 611130, China

    Junjie Zhang, Jiang Chen, Qiang Yi, Yinghong Liu & Yubi Huang

  2. College of Life Science, Sichuan Agricultural University, Ya’an, 625014, China

    Junjie Zhang & Hanmei Liu

  3. College of Agriculture, Sichuan Agricultural University, Chengdu, 611130, China

    Yufeng Hu & Yubi Huang

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  1. Junjie Zhang
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  2. Jiang Chen
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  3. Qiang Yi
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  4. Yufeng Hu
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  6. Yinghong Liu
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Correspondence to Yubi Huang.

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Junjie Zhang and Jiang Chen have contributed equally to the work.

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Zhang, J., Chen, J., Yi, Q. et al. Novel role of ZmaNAC36 in co-expression of starch synthetic genes in maize endosperm. Plant Mol Biol 84, 359–369 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11103-013-0153-x

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