Wang Juan, Zhang Haiqin, Wang Yuanjiang, Meng Shanshan, Liu Qing, Li Qian, Zhao Zhiwen, Liu Qiaoquan, Wei Cunxu
Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Physiology of Jiangsu Province/Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Crop Genomics and Molecular Breeding, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
Co-Innovation Center for Modern Production Technology of Grain Crops of Jiangsu Province/Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture & Agri-Product Safety, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China.
Plant Physiol. 2024 May 31;195(2):1365-1381. doi: 10.1093/plphys/kiae139.
Several starch synthesis regulators have been identified, but these regulators are situated in the terminus of the regulatory network. Their upstream regulators and the complex regulatory network formed between these regulators remain largely unknown. A previous study demonstrated that NAM, ATAF, and CUC (NAC) transcription factors, OsNAC20 and OsNAC26 (OsNAC20/26), redundantly and positively regulate the accumulation of storage material in rice (Oryza sativa) endosperm. In this study, we detected OsNAC25 as an upstream regulator and interacting protein of OsNAC20/26. Both OsNAC25 mutation and OE resulted in a chalky seed phenotype, decreased starch content, and reduced expression of starch synthesis-related genes, but the mechanisms were different. In the osnac25 mutant, decreased expression of OsNAC20/26 resulted in reduced starch synthesis; however, in OsNAC25-overexpressing plants, the OsNAC25-OsNAC20/26 complex inhibited OsNAC20/26 binding to the promoter of starch synthesis-related genes. In addition, OsNAC20/26 positively regulated OsNAC25. Therefore, the mutual regulation between OsNAC25 and OsNAC20/26 forms a positive regulatory loop to stimulate the expression of starch synthesis-related genes and meet the great demand for starch accumulation in the grain filling stage. Simultaneously, a negative regulatory loop forms among the 3 proteins to avoid the excessive expression of starch synthesis-related genes. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that both promotion and inhibition mechanisms between OsNAC25 and OsNAC20/26 are essential for maintaining stable expression of starch synthesis-related genes and normal starch accumulation.
已鉴定出几种淀粉合成调节因子,但这些调节因子位于调节网络的末端。它们的上游调节因子以及这些调节因子之间形成的复杂调节网络在很大程度上仍然未知。先前的一项研究表明,NAM、ATAF和CUC(NAC)转录因子OsNAC20和OsNAC26(OsNAC20/26)冗余且正向调节水稻(Oryza sativa)胚乳中贮藏物质的积累。在本研究中,我们检测到OsNAC25是OsNAC20/26的上游调节因子和相互作用蛋白。OsNAC25突变和过表达均导致垩白种子表型、淀粉含量降低以及淀粉合成相关基因的表达减少,但机制不同。在osnac25突变体中,OsNAC20/26表达降低导致淀粉合成减少;然而,在过表达OsNAC25的植株中,OsNAC25-OsNAC20/26复合物抑制OsNAC20/26与淀粉合成相关基因启动子的结合。此外,OsNAC20/26正向调节OsNAC25。因此,OsNAC25和OsNAC20/26之间的相互调节形成了一个正向调节环,以刺激淀粉合成相关基因的表达,并满足灌浆期对淀粉积累的巨大需求。同时,这三种蛋白质之间形成了一个负向调节环,以避免淀粉合成相关基因的过度表达。总的来说,我们的研究结果表明,OsNAC25和OsNAC20/26之间的促进和抑制机制对于维持淀粉合成相关基因的稳定表达和正常淀粉积累至关重要。