DREB转录因子研究进展

DREB转录因子即干旱应答元件结合蛋白质,它能特异结合启动子中含有 DRE/CRT 顺式元件,激活许多逆境诱导基因的表达,增强植物对逆境的忍耐力。介绍DREB转录因子与DRE顺式作用元件的关系,DREB 转录因子与 DRE 元件的结合特异性,DREB 的结构特点和功能,DREB 转录因子的表达调控,DREB 转录因子的克隆及鉴定等方面的研究进展,简述 DREB 转录因子对调控逆境诱导基因的表达具有非常重要的作用,在提高植物综合抗逆性方面将有巨大的应用前景。同时,指出 DREB 转录因子在信号转导、作用机理及基因表达等方面的复杂性。      

玉米中与DRE元件结合的转录因子的克隆和结构分析

DREB类的转录因子特异性地与DRE元件（脱水应答元件）结合,在植物感受干旱,高盐及低温等逆境条件时,激活一系列下游逆境应答基因的表达。进一步的研究发现,拟南芥DREB蛋白的DNA结合域（AP2区）中14位的缬氨酸和19位的谷氨酸对该转灵因子与DNA结合起着关键性的作用。利用酵母单杂交的方法,我们从玉米（Zea mays L.)的cDNA文库中分离到一个编码与DRE元件结合的蛋白的基因,命名为maDREB1。酵母体内的反式激活实验表明,该基因编码和蛋白能特异地与DRE元件结合并能激活下游报告基因的表达。对maDREB1蛋白14位和19位的氨基酸进行单位突变和双点突变实验,发现14位的缬氨酸突变为丙氨酸后maDREB1几乎丧了其转录激活能力,而19位的谷氨酸突变为天门冬氨酸后maDREB1的转录激活能力也受到较大影响。     

Interaction between two cis-acting elements,ABRE and DRE,in ABA-dependent expression of Arabidopsis rd29A gene in response to dehydration and high-salinity stresses

Many abiotic stress-inducible genes contain two cis-acting elements, namely a dehydration-responsive element (DRE; TACCGACAT) and an ABA-responsive element (ABRE; ACGTGG/TC), in their promoter regions. We precisely analyzed the 120 bp promoter region (-174 to -55) of the Arabidopsis rd29A gene whose expression is induced by dehydration, high-salinity, low-temperature, and abscisic acid (ABA) treatments and whose 120 bp promoter region contains the DRE, DRE/CRT-core motif (A/GCCGAC), and ABRE sequences. Deletion and base substitution analyses of this region showed that the DRE-core motif functions as DRE and that the DRE/DRE-core motif could be a coupling element of ABRE. Gel mobility shift assays revealed that DRE-binding proteins (DREB1s/CBFs and DREB2s) bind to both DRE and the DRE-core motif and that ABRE-binding proteins (AREBs/ABFs) bind to ABRE in the 120 bp promoter region. In addition, transactivation experiments using Arabidopsis leaf protoplasts showed that DREBs and AREBs cumulatively transactivate the expression of a GUS reporter gene fused to the 120 bp promoter region of rd29A. These results indicate that DRE and ABRE are interdependent in the ABA-responsive expression of the rd29A gene in response to ABA in Arabidopsis.