Department of Biology and Cell and Molecular Biology Program, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
Genomics Core Lab, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812, USA.
Int J Mol Sci. 2018 Nov 23;19(12):3731. doi: 10.3390/ijms19123731.
Soil salinity, a significant problem in agriculture, severely limits the productivity of crop plants. Plants respond to and cope with salt stress by reprogramming gene expression via multiple signaling pathways that converge on transcription factors. To develop strategies to generate salt-tolerant crops, it is necessary to identify transcription factors that modulate salt stress responses in plants. In this study, we investigated the role of VOZ (VASCULAR PLANT ONE-ZINC FINGER PROTEIN) transcription factors (VOZs) in salt stress response. Transcriptome analysis in WT (wild-type), , double mutant and a complemented line revealed that many stress-responsive genes are regulated by VOZs. Enrichment analysis for gene ontology terms in misregulated genes in double mutant confirmed previously identified roles of VOZs and suggested a new role for them in salt stress. To confirm VOZs role in salt stress, we analyzed seed germination and seedling growth of WT, , , single mutants, double mutant and a complemented line under different concentrations of NaCl. Only the double mutant exhibited hypersensitivity to salt stress as compared to WT, single mutants, and a complemented line. Expression analysis showed that hypersensitivity of the double mutant was accompanied by reduced expression of salt-inducible genes. These results suggest that VOZ transcription factors act as positive regulators of several salt-responsive genes and that the two VOZs are functionally redundant in salt stress.
土壤盐度是农业中的一个重大问题，严重限制了作物的生产力。植物通过多条信号通路重编程基因表达来应对和适应盐胁迫，这些信号通路汇聚到转录因子上。为了制定生产耐盐作物的策略，有必要鉴定调节植物盐胁迫反应的转录因子。在这项研究中，我们研究了 VOZ（血管植物一个锌指蛋白）转录因子（VOZs）在盐胁迫反应中的作用。在 WT（野生型）、、双突变体和一个互补系中进行的转录组分析表明，许多应激响应基因受 VOZs 调节。在双突变体中失调基因的基因本体术语富集分析证实了 VOZs 的先前鉴定作用，并暗示了它们在盐胁迫中的新作用。为了确认 VOZs 在盐胁迫中的作用，我们分析了 WT、、、单突变体、双突变体和一个互补系在不同 NaCl 浓度下的种子萌发和幼苗生长。只有双突变体与 WT、单突变体和一个互补系相比表现出对盐胁迫的超敏反应。表达分析表明，双突变体的超敏反应伴随着盐诱导基因的表达降低。这些结果表明，VOZ 转录因子作为几个盐响应基因的正调控因子发挥作用，并且这两个 VOZs 在盐胁迫中具有功能冗余性。
