Open AccessRh NAC 3, a stress‐associated NAC transcription factor, has a role in dehydration tolerance through regulating osmotic stress‐related genes in rose petals
Author(s) -
Jiang Xinqiang,
Zhang Changqing,
Lü Peitao,
Jiang Guimei,
Liu Xiaowei,
Dai Fanwei,
Gao Junping
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
plant biotechnology journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.525
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1467-7652
pISSN - 1467-7644
DOI - 10.1111/pbi.12114
Subject(s) - petal , arabidopsis , biology , abscisic acid , osmotic shock , gene silencing , microbiology and biotechnology , transcription factor , gene , gene expression , botany , biochemistry , mutant
Summary Petal cell expansion depends on cell wall metabolism, changes in cell turgor pressure and restructuring of the cytoskeleton, and recovery ability of petal cell expansion is defined as an indicator of dehydration tolerance in flowers. We previously reported that Rh NAC 2, a development‐related NAC domain transcription factor, confers dehydration tolerance through regulating cell wall‐related genes in rose petals. Here, we identify Rh NAC 3 , a novel rose SNAC gene, and its expression in petals induced by dehydration, wounding, exogenous ethylene and abscisic acid (ABA). Expression studies in Arabidopsis protoplasts and yeast show that Rh NAC 3 has transactivation activity along its full length and in the carboxyl‐terminal domain. Silencing Rh NAC 3 in rose petals by virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) significantly decreased the cell expansion of rose petals under rehydration conditions. In total, 24 of 27 osmotic stress‐related genes were down‐regulated in Rh NAC 3 ‐silenced rose petals, while only 4 of 22 cell expansion‐related genes were down‐regulated. Overexpression of Rh NAC 3 in Arabidopsis gave improved drought tolerance, with lower water loss of leaves in transgenic plants. Arabidopsis ATH 1 microarray analysis showed that Rh NAC 3 regulated the expression of stress‐responsive genes in overexpressing lines, and further analysis revealed that most of the Rh NAC 3‐ up‐regulated genes were involved in the response to osmotic stress. Comparative analysis revealed that different transcription regulation existed between Rh NAC 3 and Rh NAC 2. Taken together, these data indicate that Rh NAC 3, as a positive regulator, confers dehydration tolerance of rose petals mainly through regulating osmotic adjustment‐associated genes.